Is a construction company right to chase a coffee over the word cat? | Gene markings | Business

IWe have always wondered about a small dry cleaning business in South Philadelphia. I had to drive through this place a thousand times since my childhood, en route to the Phillies matches. It's their sign that always catches my eye. It's a character from a Disney movie. And they use the name of the film and their beloved character as a commercial name.

This seems to be a trademark violation and perhaps because the company has been around for so long, the original owners have reached an agreement with Disney. Or maybe Disney rightly believes that the efforts – and the attention of the media – are not worth it to tackle at a small company that clearly means nothing for their profitability. If so, all the better for Disney.

Unfortunately, Caterpillar – the $ 54.7 billion giant manufacturer of tractors, farm equipment and construction – sees things differently. The leaders there do not seem to have any problem to take to anyone that they see undermining their brand, even if it 's all about. a small cafe located in Santa Cruz, California.

The store calls Cat & Cloud Coffee and their use of the word Cat has drawn Caterpillar's attention. So much so that the industrial giant has filed an order for cessation and abstention.

"We are not pursuing Cat & Cloud, we are not targeting a small business, and we are not focusing on the main focus of Cat & Cloud: coffee," Caterpillar said in a statement. "We simply asked the US Trademark Office to remove the Cat & Cloud trademark registration for shoes and apparel only, products for which Caterpillar has a long-standing brand and considerable activity. We hope to solve this problem quickly. "

Go ahead, take a look at this: I have browsed the website of Cat & Cloud Coffee and the clothes it sells and I do not see any link between this small business and Caterpillar other than the use of the word Cat. But even though a dry cleaning shop literally uses the name and image of a beloved Disney character for decades, but was ignored by a Fortune 100 company, this little cafe is attacked by another because they use the word Cat. ? Cat? Am I missing something?

If I am, the others are too. "I do not think anyone badociates Caterpillar company with its mbadive yellow trucks with a small coffee," a customer told a local news channel. "I do not think I'll ever be able to confuse them. It makes no sense to me, "said another.

The owners of Cat & Cloud Coffee are of course frustrated and upset. But they do the right things. They fight. They take the cause on social media. They have a petition that already contains thousands of signatures. As in this section, they are exposed to the media to raise awareness of their cause.

In the end, if Caterpillar wants to continue in this way, it has more resources to do it. So what would you do if it happened to your small business? Fight or compromise? In the end, it will not be necessary to determine who is right or wrong. It will be on what has the most economic meaning.

But come on, Caterpillar. Do not your people have anything else to do to keep them busy? If Disney does not seem to care about a dry cleaning shop in Philly, should you really worry about a little coffee in Santa Cruz?