A judge in US District Court has sided with [Law Firm Name Deleted] in a bizarre and widely ridiculed trademark case against web site BlockShopper.com.
This image from the law firm’s web site has been replaced
with this photo of a monkey, to prevent litigation.
I would like to tell you the name of the of the law firm, but apparently Judge John W. Darrah of the Northern District of Illinois believes it’s possible that just mentioning [Law Firm Name Deleted] on your web site constitutes trademark infringement. (The name of the law firm rhymes with “Bones Flay.”)
BlockShopper applied to dismiss the frivolous case, but Darrah has denied the motion, and rejected the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s amicus brief.
Blockshopper lists the names, faces and jobs of new tennants of high-value properties in various cities, using only publicly available information. When the site mentioned the names and employer of two Ones-jay Ay-day associates, the firm decided to sue, under the fascinating theory that just linking to the law firm’s web site implied an affiliation with or sponsorship by the law firm.
And they’re spending actual money to pursue this. In an economic meltdown. On the other hand, they’re generating work!