Copyright Law

Food & Trademark News

By Andrew Raff, Esq.

The New York Times reports, Lawyers Enter Twitter Tempest: "Mr. Rucinsky, a 30-year-old part-time art dealer who uses his middle name as his last name when he writes, sends silly blurbs on Twitter and writes inane blog postings that purport to reflect Ms. Freeman's musings about New York City restaurants, like 'Governor of Texas raving about Secession on TV all week. Must be great word of mouth for Bouley!' His fake Restaurant Girl also ventures into more cosmic concerns: 'Does anyone know what happens to all the chocolate bunnies no one bought for Easter? Are they put to sleep?'"

Freeman does have a trademark registration for RESTAURANT GIRL. Ruckinsky's Twitter account at twitter.com/restaurantgirl claims to be "an unaffiliated parody of Danyelle Freeman, the real Restaurant Girl who can be found at restaurantgirl.com. She's not this clever or ambitious."

NY Magazine's Grub Street blog reports, Hershey's Tells Jacques Torres to 'Kiss' His Champagne Bon Bons Good-bye -- Grub Street: New York Magazine's Food and Restaurant Blog: "Jacques Torres tells us that he recently received a letter from a lawyer for Hershey's Chocolate telling him that the 'Champagne Kiss' he's been serving for two years (a $1.50 bon bon made with pink Champagne) is an infringement of the Hershey's Kiss copyright (sic)." (That would be a trademark.)

Full post as published by IPTAblog on April 23, 2009 (boomark / email).