Top photo from last month; 2nd photo from May
The recently opened Joe's Wine Co. at 113 Third Ave. is being sued by a bigger Joe.
As Gothamist (and other outlets) reported the other day, Trader Joe's has filed a lawsuit against the shop between 13th Street and 14th Street in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Per Gothamist:
The grocery chain says Joe's Wines Co. is infringing on its intellectual property rights, confusing customers by opening a "knock-off wine store" ... just blocks away from its former Trader Joe's Wine Shop that abruptly closed in 2022 after workers there tried to unionize.Trader Joe's wants the store to change its name and pay damages, according to the 31-page suit filed this month But Joe's Wine Co. claims Joseph is a family name that goes back hundreds of years, and the store "celebrates a family heritage of winemaking that dates back to 12th-century Spain" ... And their lawyer points out that plenty of New York businesses, including Joe's Pizza next door to Trader Joe's, use the name "Joe" in their title.The suit is about more than just the name. In it, Trader Joe's attorneys claim the wine store stole the chain's entire aesthetic, including its initial use of a red circular logo, color scheme and wood paneling to "ape the look of a Trader Joe's store."
Read more background about the new Joe's from our May post below...
Previously on EV Grieve:
8 comments:
TJ's doesn't hold a trademark for the name "Joe" or wood paneling, which is quite commonly used in wine shops. If anyone should be suing it should be Tom Nook on behalf of Nook's Cranny. ;)
Notorious is right. Notorious RBG would have agreed.
I agree with the wine shop and the other commenters here ... Trader's Joe's needs to calm down and get over it. People should know that they are instrumental in the national push back AGAINST unionization anywhere, for any workers, and they are fighting against workers in the Supreme Court, where (with this current court) they might actually win. They could have reopened in the 14th street space, but they chose another version of TJ's instead. Why try to force another business out? That seems like a monopolistic move / thinking. But in this upside-down nation of lawlessness, the judge will likely side with THE CORPORATION 2.0, now with greater rights than a female U.S. citizen.
I actually walked into that wine shop thinking it was the Trader's Joe's shop, but then i realized it wasn't once i looked at the prices of the wine bottles. I wish TJ reopened their wine shop, best deals ever.
I'm getting TJs vibes just do to the proximity of both places but it seems petty to bust the balls of a small business for no good reason. It's not like Joe's Wine Co is pulling business from TJs as they no longer even operate a wine shop. Plus the yellow lettering is quite different from the red TJs logo. In any event even if TJs had a wine shop people would still go there for there for their cheap shits rather than a more expensive bougie place down the street.
The purpose of trademark law is not only (or even primarily) to protect the commercial interests of the trademark owner. The law exists to protect consumers from being confused about the source of goods in the market. So the question is more than just "how similar" they appear to be. If people are going into the new store thinking it's owned by Trader Joe's, then it's a violation of TJ's trademark. If not, then it's not. No doubt TJ's will have a lot of money to spend on surveys and consumer experts showing why they should win...
Is there not a Joe’s Coffee that’s not infringing ? Seem’s like pick on the little guy ….
Do we have some interior shots? I mean the branding on the outside doesn't remind me of trader joe's. And even if they are using red...there is a reason that SO many businesses use red, it's eye catching. Take a look around and see how prevalent it is in business. It's a very traditional color to use for this purpose. Can't use a circle now?? I'll have to remind myself to stop in, next time I shop at Trader Joe's. Did you know? Trader Joe's is located nearby. It's the grocery store that decided they didn't want to be in the wine business also...
Post a Comment