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Cat and Cloud Coffee Told by Caterpillar Inc. To Stop Using “CAT” in Trademark

23 points by rdhyee 7y ago

pbhjpbhj 7y ago
"Sorry, this content is not available in your region." Flagged.
- CamperBob2 7y ago
  You're lucky, the site is completely toxic with popups and bogus virus alerts.
  - sathackr 7y ago
    I had to close 4 different pop-overs just to view the site on mobile. No I don't want you to send me notifications. No I don't want to subscribe. Please change your social media floater so that it doesn't take up 30% of the vertical screen
sonoffett 7y ago
Best coffee in santa cruz IMO, also have an incredibly popular podcast https://catandcloud.com/pages/podcast https://catandcloud.com/pages/podcast . Their sister bakery "companion" has best croissants I've had outside of europe.
sathackr 7y ago
They say: "Could anybody imagine a $54 billion machinery company coming after a coffee company? I don't think that's even in the cards," said Truby. "The first biggest thing they want us to do is not print the name Cat and Cloud on anything again. I think that is unbelievable. I don't think that's going to hold up." Caterpillar says: Caterpillar Inc. says its only concern is over apparel, providing Action News with this statement: "Caterpillar serves customers around the world, many of whom earn their livelihood with one or two machines and often a good pair of work boots. We value all of them and strive to provide exceptional products and services. This means we have a responsibility to protect and maintain the brand they love and rely on every day - including our existing trademarks. "We are not suing Cat & Cloud, not targeting a small business and not focused on Cat & Cloud's primary interest: coffee. We've simply asked the U.S. Trademark Office to remove Cat & Cloud's trademark registration on footwear and apparel only, products for which Caterpillar has longstanding trademarks and a considerable business. We hope to resolve this issue quickly." It would seem they are entering the same industry, thus the action by caterpillar seems warranted. Caterpillar is not just a heavy machinery company, and it would seem Cat and Cloud is not selling just coffee.
- rdhyee 7y ago
  IANAL for sure -- but isn't trademarking "Cat and Cloud" as a single unit an important fact to consider? Caterpillar's trademark is focused on "CAT" alone. I don't see much potential for confusing the two companies.
- ClassyJacket 7y ago
  "thus the action by caterpillar seems warranted" It is not (unless you take the point of view that it's the laws that are broken and Caterpillar has no choice). There is zero chance of anybody getting this: https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/623965721517690880/K2s-JdMw_400x400.jpg https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/623965721517690880/K2s-... confused with this: https://cdn.forconstructionpros.com/files/base/acbm/fcp/image/2010/12/16x9/640w/caterpill_10210679.jpg https://cdn.forconstructionpros.com/files/base/acbm/fcp/imag...
Eric_WVGG 7y ago
For a company that has their fingers in every strip mine on the planet, this is a pretty audacious move. I wager in a matter of days some VP will get wind of this and scream at the lawyers to slow their roll.
ultrarunner 7y ago
I love the line "and a good pair of work boots." Marketing at its finest. Are we really supposed to believe that the type of fellow who cherishes a "good pair of work boots" is going to get confused and wear coffee-shop apparel to a worksite? Are we really supposed to believe that this situation will threaten anyone's ability to "earn their livelihood with one or two [Caterpillar] machines?"
xupybd 7y ago
"We are not suing Cat & Cloud, not targeting a small business and not focused on Cat & Cloud's primary interest: coffee. We've simply asked the U.S. Trademark Office to remove Cat & Cloud's trademark registration on footwear and apparel only, products for which Caterpillar has longstanding trademarks and a considerable business. We hope to resolve this issue quickly." Sadly they have to defend this or they could risk losing the cat trademark on footwear.

23 points by rdhyee 7y ago

pbhjpbhj 7y ago

"Sorry, this content is not available in your region." Flagged.

CamperBob2 7y ago
You're lucky, the site is completely toxic with popups and bogus virus alerts.
- sathackr 7y ago
  I had to close 4 different pop-overs just to view the site on mobile. No I don't want you to send me notifications. No I don't want to subscribe. Please change your social media floater so that it doesn't take up 30% of the vertical screen

sonoffett 7y ago

Best coffee in santa cruz IMO, also have an incredibly popular podcast https://catandcloud.com/pages/podcast https://catandcloud.com/pages/podcast . Their sister bakery "companion" has best croissants I've had outside of europe.

sathackr 7y ago

They say: "Could anybody imagine a $54 billion machinery company coming after a coffee company? I don't think that's even in the cards," said Truby. "The first biggest thing they want us to do is not print the name Cat and Cloud on anything again. I think that is unbelievable. I don't think that's going to hold up." Caterpillar says: Caterpillar Inc. says its only concern is over apparel, providing Action News with this statement: "Caterpillar serves customers around the world, many of whom earn their livelihood with one or two machines and often a good pair of work boots. We value all of them and strive to provide exceptional products and services. This means we have a responsibility to protect and maintain the brand they love and rely on every day - including our existing trademarks. "We are not suing Cat & Cloud, not targeting a small business and not focused on Cat & Cloud's primary interest: coffee. We've simply asked the U.S. Trademark Office to remove Cat & Cloud's trademark registration on footwear and apparel only, products for which Caterpillar has longstanding trademarks and a considerable business. We hope to resolve this issue quickly." It would seem they are entering the same industry, thus the action by caterpillar seems warranted. Caterpillar is not just a heavy machinery company, and it would seem Cat and Cloud is not selling just coffee.

rdhyee 7y ago
IANAL for sure -- but isn't trademarking "Cat and Cloud" as a single unit an important fact to consider? Caterpillar's trademark is focused on "CAT" alone. I don't see much potential for confusing the two companies.
ClassyJacket 7y ago
"thus the action by caterpillar seems warranted" It is not (unless you take the point of view that it's the laws that are broken and Caterpillar has no choice). There is zero chance of anybody getting this: https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/623965721517690880/K2s-JdMw_400x400.jpg https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/623965721517690880/K2s-... confused with this: https://cdn.forconstructionpros.com/files/base/acbm/fcp/image/2010/12/16x9/640w/caterpill_10210679.jpg https://cdn.forconstructionpros.com/files/base/acbm/fcp/imag...

Eric_WVGG 7y ago

For a company that has their fingers in every strip mine on the planet, this is a pretty audacious move. I wager in a matter of days some VP will get wind of this and scream at the lawyers to slow their roll.

ultrarunner 7y ago

I love the line "and a good pair of work boots." Marketing at its finest. Are we really supposed to believe that the type of fellow who cherishes a "good pair of work boots" is going to get confused and wear coffee-shop apparel to a worksite? Are we really supposed to believe that this situation will threaten anyone's ability to "earn their livelihood with one or two [Caterpillar] machines?"

xupybd 7y ago

"We are not suing Cat & Cloud, not targeting a small business and not focused on Cat & Cloud's primary interest: coffee. We've simply asked the U.S. Trademark Office to remove Cat & Cloud's trademark registration on footwear and apparel only, products for which Caterpillar has longstanding trademarks and a considerable business. We hope to resolve this issue quickly." Sadly they have to defend this or they could risk losing the cat trademark on footwear.