AIBU to think Harrods should get a grip

[BigFatSepticToe]

because of this story

talk about too big for their boots, whatever next!

presumably Harrods think some of their customers cannot read or spell correctly?

YANBU. They are being pathetic.

Ludicrous. Because you really would think that a caff in Essex was somehow connected to Harrods. wouldn't you, because the typeface on the sign is a bit similar..?!

Oh for Gods sake... YANBU. The font is similar, but the sign is entirely different. Get a grip, indeed.

Harrods is crap anyway. Its just a museum for rich people.

I agree that Harrods are being pathetic, but the woman is being disingenuous when she says:

?At the end of the day we are a roadside restaurant. How we are associated with a Knightsbridge store is beyond me,? he said"

She chose the typeface to look like the Harrods one in order to set up an association in people's minds of a classy brand. Harrods don't want the association with a roadside cafe - they are protecting their brand.

IME they don't have anything to worry about, so YANBU

should have read "classy" brand

Looking at it from a designers viewpoint if I had designed the harrods logo and then had seen the hollands one I would definitely feel plagiarised. They should sue the company who did their branding, or they should admit that they copied the logo either consciously or unconsciously. I never thought I would be siding with harrods over anything .

In Southend there used to be a handbag shop called Aarrods - same typeface and A swirly to look a bit like an H

well, the proprietor says they chose the typeface based on his wife's signature, are harrods going to ask her to find a new way of writing her name too, just in case it confuses anyone she writes to?

I have also lived in a town with a small family owned store called Boots, there was no problem at all with the Boots threatening them, they were obviously different companies

She lies

oh, and there is a local thai restraunt called "thais r us" - are Toys R Us on their case? No!

Sorry - i don't believe it was an accident that the typefaces are so similar

"well, the proprietor says they chose the typeface based on his wife's signature"

BULLSHIT

I believe so, Riven - the London Transport one, frinstance

YABU - Hollands are clearly evoking the Harrods logo/trade mark in their signage, and on all their menus, paperwork, flyers etc. It's not just the overall look that is similar, but look at each letter and it's virtually identical to the Harrods one. They have copied/emulated an internationally recognised, trade mark protected logo of an extremely successful business - presumably hoping their business will benefit from association, or maybe even in homage to the most famous English shop. It's like deciding to call your cafe "Cafe Cola" and using the same font and colour as coke in your logo - you're simply not going to get away with it. Imagine if this cafe became really successful and someone started up shop around the corner with a shop called Pollands, using the same colour, similar font etc - it's not on. The Harrods logo will be protected by trade mark laws and the common law tort of 'passing off' and they are well within their rights to object.

If Hollands had done a little research and given a little consideration to their decision they would have seen Harrods are extremely vigilant in protecting their logo/trademark from copycats. There are stories like this in the papers every year.

Holland should save their legal costs and put the money into redoing the sign. No doubt the costs will be offset from all the publicity generated for their business by this story - maybe they did their research afterall?

mind you, someone invented that

phew, someone, who knows what they are talking about Downdog

if they lied about the signature, thats a huge risk to take, as it can so easily be dispproved, which will make them look bad for a) trying to cash in on Harrods good name, and b) lying! they would have been better off going on the lines of surely no-one would ever mistake our humble caff for anything to do with your huge emporium

I think it's fine for Harrods to protect their obvious brand. It is too similar.

I meant, someone knows what they are talking about legally (must stop pressing Post message too early - did not mean to imply that the rest of you/us are talking crap)

I am with Harrods on this one,that is an obvious copy of their design. If this was a cafe that had been running for a long time say 20+ years then there would be no issue - but four months. They certainly copied the Harrods design and Harrods should have a right to challenge. As Marsha said they have to protect their brand

I can tell you are a lawyer because you used the word "signage"

Oh hang on...

Was the woman abandoned in Harrods as a baby? Did she then grow up within the confines of the shop? Eat her food from the Food Hall, play with the toys in the toy section, always hiding from an evil floor manager in the Pet section? You know, like a raised by wolves sort of story?

Because that is the only logical explanation for her signature being exactly the same as the Harrods sign.