August 09, 2007

PR Nightmare? Or valid lawsuit. Johnson & Johnson slated to sue Red Cross over trademark infringement. They state that the Red Cross can only use their symbol in not for profit venues. Apparently the Cross has been selling emergency kits with the Red Cross symbol, and JNJ wants these items destroyed.

Stolen from the blue, but figured I'd spread the word. In case anyone wants to drop JNJ a friendly note, Here's the link

posted by Debaser626 17 years ago
  • The American Red Cross isn't entirely above board. Do some googling on their practices. Plus in the US of A you either defend your trademark or you lose it.
  • OK, I'm not a lawyer and freely admit to not understanding the nuances here. But it sounds like the money the Red Cross makes on these items is going toward their regular charity efforts and isn't what the layman would consider "profit" per se. I mean, it strikes me as the same thing as putting your logo on the thank-you letter for a donation. Which is precisely why we call the t-shirts we sell "donation gifts" and have people who buy them write "donation" in the check memo.
  • You can bet I'll write J&J, 'baser-boy. These people are just plain dicks. As far as the trademark goes, waddatheygonna do? Go after the Swiss Army knife people? The red cross has always meant health aid exclusive of J&J. The Geneva Convention conclusively linked the red cross with medical care for people in all countries, irrespective of the fact that the emblem was supposed to be designated for specific use. Replacing it with a green cross doesn't bring the recognition in people's minds. Use of a universal symbol, just like the radiation symbol, or toxic contents, lodging available, or the handicapped symbols, etc, is a Good Thing. If worse comes to worse, let Red Cross withdraw the cross from newly manufactured kits and repackage the old kits in a shrink wrap that shows the red cross as trademarked by J&J or some other bullshit. Consider it cheap advertising. Or make the Red Cross give away the kits at cost. J&J will destroy a Good Thing and deprive people of something they need, add to a landfill, and generally waste a shitload of money on their little rampage and legal schemes, then turn around and spend money on advertisement, with, you guessed it, their 'special' red cross. Or, wait for it ... maybe instead they could give a little of their legal money on charity and give the kits to DISASTER RELIEF!! Bet the Katrina victims still need band aids. Do I look to see (or care) if there is a little R on the cross when I open a band aid? Not hardly, but FSM knows there's enough 'brand recognition' that J&J is in the back of my mind. I'm really sick of BigBiz and their damn brands. I buy no-name any chance I get just because. Unfortunately, most of my nickels go back to BigBiz anyway, since they own the subsidiaries. Fuyugare: I wouldn't doubt your statement a bit. ANY big organization having power and money is going to have dirty corners AFAIC. However, the only google link I could find is from this tin-hat, and I'm a bit suspect. Post your google-fu link, please.
  • When the Templars hear about this, J&J are in big trouble. Johnson and Johnson, thou art screwed.
  • This bodes well for my class action suit: Residents of Mornington Crescent vs. Red Crescent. Our writ sets out a claim of trademark infringement, Northern Line to Waterloo and Bakerloo line miss-a-turn.
  • See if we were all commies we wouldn't have these "legal trademark" thingies to get us upset.
  • I'm hungry for crescent rolls now.
  • mmmmmm, with melted butter and rasperburrys jam!