Birdwatching From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 3573 posts, RR: 52 Posted (6 months 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 6776 times:
I've seen this for the third time now on a German highway: a Czech trucking company that seems to use the Japan Air Lines logo. I memorized the url printed on the truck this time and looked it up when I got home. The logo looks 100% like the Japanese carrier's logo, so I googled to find out if they have any connection (like one company investing in the other). I couldn't find anything, so I have to assume they are using the logo illegally? Or is it just a coincidence? They also seem to run a gas station with the same logo. Maybe some of our Czech A.net members can comment?
lows From Austria, joined Oct 2011, 984 posts, RR: 1 Reply 2, posted (6 months 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 6681 times:
No, they are at least a little different. Compare, for example, the neck of the crane. Or the beak. Or that on the left wink of the JL logo is a deep dip of white. Not so in the Czech logo.
TC957 From UK - England, joined May 2012, 335 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (6 months 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 6660 times:
No, JAL have gone back to using the crane logo again now since re-emerging from their financial troubles.
But I suppose the trucking company could agrue that the symbol is a swan rather than a crane...
Koosi From Czech Republic, joined May 2005, 66 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (6 months 18 hours ago) and read 5643 times:
Yes, it does look pretty similar, but saying it's "100% like the Japanese carrier's logo" is stretching it. I'm not saying I like the fact that they (most likely) basically copied JAL's logo but at least they had enough courtesy to change the colors and the shape of the head and neck. Also, the areas in between the feathers (or whatever it is) seem wider and shorter.
chumley From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 117 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (6 months 14 hours ago) and read 3654 times:
Trademarks are an interesting study in Law. Large companies such as airlines can usually protect their brand from other similar marks, but not always. Especially when the trademarks are in two entirely different industries. For instance, if there was an airline named Apple, the computer company may have no ability to stop it because there would be little confusion to consumers over what product/service the two companies are offering, they are very different.
In this case however, you could argue that both JAL and the Czech trucking company are in the transportation and freight business, which could certainly raise concerns.
I suspect that in this case however, it comes down to the specifics of Czech copyright law. In a more famous case, Budweiser (the beer brand of Anheuser-Busch InBev) is not permitted to use it's brand name in the Czech Republic due to a local Czech brand of Bud that existed before the American beer arrived there. Despite years of legal battles, A-B was never able to win in Czech court.
Not to mention, JAL does not do business in the Czech Republic, so it probably has very little ability to defend it's brand there.
brilondon From Canada, joined Aug 2005, 3171 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (6 months 13 hours ago) and read 3228 times:
I don't know the trademark laws in the Czech Republic, but I think that if they were going to take action legally or even if they could , they would have done so already.
MCOflyer From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 8553 posts, RR: 14 Reply 12, posted (6 months 8 hours ago) and read 2290 times:
Quoting brilondon (Reply 11): I don't know the trademark laws in the Czech Republic, but I think that if they were going to take action legally or even if they could , they would have done so already.
What if Japan Airlines does not know before this thread was even born???
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21478 posts, RR: 24 Reply 13, posted (6 months 7 hours ago) and read 2200 times:
Quoting chumley (Reply 8): Not to mention, JAL does not do business in the Czech Republic, so it probably has very little ability to defend it's brand there.
You can book JAL flight numbers to/from PRG as they codeshare with both BA via LHR and AF via CDG, so it could be argued that a ticket sold by a travel agent in PRG and booked on JL numbers on both sectors qualifies as doing business there.
brilondon From Canada, joined Aug 2005, 3171 posts, RR: 1 Reply 14, posted (6 months 7 hours ago) and read 2161 times:
Quoting chumley (Reply 8): if there was an airline named Apple,
There is a vacation company by that name ironically. They are in two very different industries and their logo is different. I am guessing that JAL probably knows about the use of the logo but has no grounds for any litigation because it does not impact them at all.
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