Monday, January 26, 2009

Trader Joe’s Reaches Settlement Over “Trader John’s”

Looks like the trademark dispute between Trader Joe’s Co. and Gristedes Foods Inc. (previously blogged here) over the latter company’s planned use of the name “Trader John’s” in connection with a chain of grocery stores appears to have been settled.

On January 22, 2009, the parties sent a joint letter to the court requesting that the temporary restraining order entered by the court on January 14, 2009, be extended an additional 10 days while the parties work out the details of a settlement agreement which apparently had been reached in principle on January 15, 2009. The letter was endorsed by the court on January 23, 2009.

So I guess John Catsimatidis, the billionaire CEO of Gristede’s Foods, had second thoughts about the viability of his “fair use” defense of the name “Trader John’s” because his name is John and he is a trader.

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