Drug giant seeing red over Red Cross emblem

[Swede]

Source: CBC

Johnson & Johnson, the pharmaceutical giant that uses a red cross as its trademark, sued the American Red Cross on Wednesday, demanding that the charity halt the use of the red cross symbol on products it sells to the public.

"For a multibillion-dollar drug company to claim that the Red Cross violated a criminal statute … simply so that J&J can make more money, is obscene," said Mark Everson, the Red Cross president.



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2007/08/08/redcross-suit.html?ref=rss

[lynnertic]

1. hasn't the red cross been around forever?

It should be in the public domain, like the smileyface and the "LOVE" design.

LO
VE


on edit: forgot the italic 'o'

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Doesn't Clara Barton hold the trademark rights to the red cross symbol?

[youngdem]

3. Perhaps they are claiming the Red Cross' use of the cross wasn't for saleable products

until after Johnson and Johnson had trademarked the red cross for use on items related to health and emergency care. Since there could easily be brand confusion or dilution if the Red Cross and J&J both sell products in the same market, J&J probably has a claim.

[Sequoia]

4. But, but what about the Crusaders...weren't they really the first to use it?

Just wait until they get on the logo band wagon!

http://vwt.d2g.com:8081/crusaders.jpg

[LaPera]

5. The Red Cross can't use the "red cross"?

[damntexdem]

6. The Red Cross pre-existed J&J, ...

even if it didn't get its charter before J&J was founded.

Oh no, am I going to have to start boycotting yet another corporation's products.

[GregW]

7. I guess the English soccer team is screwed...

[Maine-ah]

8. dude. that pic is just disturbing.

though I'm laughing my ass off........


as for the op - I bet this will just get tossed out.

[smirkymonkey]

14. And the Episcopal Church...

[rodeodance]

9. johnson trumps the rc. so it seems here;

Johnson & Johnson began using the red cross design as a trademark in 1887 — six years after the creation of the American Red Cross but before it received its congressional charter in 1900.

The lawsuit contends that the charter did not empower the Red Cross to engage in commercial activities competing with a private business.

"After more than a century of strong cooperation in the use of the Red Cross trademark. … we were very disappointed to find that the American Red Cross started a campaign to license the trademark to several businesses for commercial purposes," Johnson & Johnson said in a statement.

[catrose]

10. The products it sells to the public

like CPR kits, with breather masks & rubber gloves. Other emergency kit stuff. Oh, they sell shirts and other ID wear to their volunteers. The hard hat was free. Gosh, I'd hate to be mistaken for a J&J employee. I shall write J&J to tell them so. And remove their products from my emergency and rescue kits.

[redqueen]

11. Capitalism & the "Ownership" society are beyond out of control.

We need some real LIBERALS up there in DC to reign the monsters in.

[HuffleClaw]

12. good luck

the 'red cross' is on a LOT of products and certainly isn't limited to only products made by J&J. sounds pretty lame to me.

[Exiled in America]

13. unbe-fracking-lievable.