http://cnnfn.com/digitaljam/newsbytes/129318.html
Amazon Bookstore Suing Amazon.com
April 15, 1999: 12:58 a.m. ET
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S.A. (NB) -- By Bob Woods,
Newsbytes. A feminist bookstore that took its name from a
legendary all- female group of warriors is taking on a formidable,
modern foe - a company whose name epitomizes Internet
electronic commerce. Minneapolis, Minn.-based Amazon
Bookstore Inc. said it filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against
Net retailing giant Amazon.com Inc. [NASDAQ:AMZN]. The
physical bookstore has hired the trademark and intellectual
property law firm Fish & Richardson to sue the cyberspace-based
book, music, video, gift, and now auction concern, Amazon
Bookstore President Barb Wieser told Newsbytes today.
Amazon Bookstore seeks unspecified damages against
Amazon.com, as well as the cancellation of Amazon.com's federal
trademark registrations using the word "amazon," saying the e-
commerce giant "knowingly infringed (Amazon Bookstore's)
trademark." Amazon Bookstore's lawsuit also claims Amazon.com
is causing confusion among its customers as to the real-world
bookstore's affiliation with Amazon.com.
"The rapid growth and vast size of Amazon.com, along with its
massive marketing expenditures, is overwhelming Amazon
Bookstore and negating its attempts to alleviate the confusion and
preserve its unique identity," attorney Mathias W. Samuel of Fish
& Richardson said in a statement.
| The lawsuit was filed April 7 in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis,
| Wieser said. While Amazon Bookstore has not officially
| registered its trademark, it claims ownership through almost 30
| years of use.
Wieser admitted the bookstore has seen a slight uptick in orders
because of the confusion, but the company's coffers haven't seen
any real increase in revenues. "But we lose more than we gain
because of our loss of identity," Wieser said.
[...]
