| MarineHawk |
04-13-2006 02:20 AM |
Quote:
In an application to the court, some of DaimlerChrysler’s claims were that the Hummer’s grille would lead buyers into thinking it was a Jeep product (which could reduce their sales and diminish their reputation), and that the slotted grille belonged to a ‘family of marks’.
The legal skirmish wound its way through several courts. The courts refused to issue an injunction that would require GM to remove the seven-slotted grille from the H2 Hummer.
The judges found that DaimlerChrysler failed to prove that it had a ‘family of marks’. Some Jeeps made between 1972 and 1985 had grilles with no resemblance to the CJ-2A design. And, while all Jeeps today have grilles with seven vertical slots, this was not the case when the Hummer grille entered the marketplace.
The judges also found that DaimlerChrysler has no right to challenge GM’s use of the grille as, in 1983, DaimlerChrysler’s predecessor, American Motors Corporation, transferred all intellectual property rights in the Hummer design to GM’s predecessor in interest.
Interestingly, we could not find any mention of the World War 2 Jeep. The vehicle that inspired today’s booming 4WD market, and is constantly used by DaimlerChrysler to woo buyers to the brand. The grille on the legendary vehicle had nine (not seven) vertical slots and was actually designed by the Ford Motor Company.
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That's hillarious. Especially this part: "some of DaimlerChrysler’s claims were that the Hummer’s grille would lead buyers into thinking it was a Jeep product (which could reduce their sales and diminish their reputation)"
Yeah, GM wants the public to believe that those $140K H1s are really $28K J##ps. |
