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Funky Brown Chick Sues Funky Black Chick for Trademark Infringement
Monday, November 17, 2008
New York, NY – Twanna A. Hines, the owner of the popular www.funkybrownchick.com website that features her writing and entertainment services, announced today that she has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against the owner of the FUNKY BLACK CHICK web site.
Ms. Hines, the founder of Funky Brown Chick Corp., a New York corporation, has been using the FUNKY BROWN CHICK trademark since June 2005 and has gained a following in the entertainment industry. Her writing has appeared in a wide range of publications, including the New York Press, Nerve, Fast Company and the Huffington Post, as well as Lifetime Television for Women. Her blog has been recognized by New York magazine, Tango magazine, AOL, EbonyJet, Vibe, Women Making Moves, Black Weblog Awards, Mediawire Daily, and the Bloggy Awards. Ms. Hines has also appeared on NPR, CBC and Sirius Satellite radio and was recently interviewed by MTV for a television network pilot.
The defendant is the owner of the www.funkyblackchick.com website on which she offers her own writing and entertainment services under the FUNKY BLACK CHICK designation. In other words, while Funky Brown Chick was doing her thing, another funky chick doing much the same thing came along years later under a virtually identical name. Ms. Hines maintains that her actual and potential readers and followers began to confuse the two FUNKY …CHICK marks, which caused and continues to cause her damage.
After Defendant refused to cease using the FUNKY BLACK CHICK designation to identify her services, Ms. Hines filed suit in the District of Maryland, asserting claims for trademark infringement and unfair competition.
Ms. Hines is represented by Fish & Richardson P.C.
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