Wait, this isn’t IKEA? While it’s not unusual to go shopping in China and find things like fake DVDs (for pennies on the dollar), now you can go shopping there and find yourself in an entirely fake store. Chinese companies are now copying global giant brands’ (Nike, Ikea, Apple, etc.) overall retail experience. A recent article described how a store known as 11 Furniture has copied IKEA’s entire store layout and décor, with the same exact color scheme, mock room set ups, cafeteria style restaurant, and similar details. This is especially troublesome for a company like IKEA because the store…
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Rockabye Baby!
August 3, 2011
Does Rockabye Baby!, a company that produces and sells “lullaby renditions of baby’s favorite rock bands,” have to seek permission from the bands themselves in order to create and market their products? Rockabye Baby! (the exclamation point is in their name; don’t worry, I’m not that excited about them) sells baby-safe versions of the music of a variety of rock artists, from AC/DC to Zeppelin. My fiancee and I recently gave their “Pixies” CD to the indie-rock loving parents of a newborn. They were excited to receive the CD, and we all enjoyed listening to the mellow instrumental take on…
The “Amazon” Tax
July 28, 2011
In an effort to bolster its struggling economy, California has joined the ranks of many other states in implementing the “Amazon” tax. California joins New York, Colorado, Hawaii, Connecticut, Texas, Illinois, Arkansas, Rhode Island, and North Carolina in enacting a law that makes online retailers subject to sales and/or use tax obligations as a result of the activities of their in-state affiliates. The Amazon tax is named after the online retailer Amazon.com because the new tax will have the biggest impact on online retailers who sell goods and have affiliates in many states. Amazon has responded by notifying 25,000 California-based…
Kim Kardashian v. Old Navy, Featuring Robot Vanna White & a Fake Tom Waits
July 25, 2011
The celebrity (although I’m not sure why) Kim Kardashian is suing Old Navy and its parent company Gap, Inc. in Los Angeles federal court for using a lookalike model in their advertisements. Specifically, Kardashian claims that this video violates her rights of publicity by featuring a model who very closely resembles Kardashian. The video itself has generated more than 2 million views on YouTube to date. Kardashian’s suit alleges that the reality TV star “has invested substantial time, energy, finances and entrepreneurial effort in developing her considerable professional and commercial achievements and success, as well as in developing her popularity,…
