Little Ceasar's Says Pizza Pizza Pizza Menu Offering Infringes On Its Pizza Pizza Slogan
from the pizza-pizza-pizza-pizza dept
It's time for some morons in a hurry to start ordering some pizza -- but perhaps not a pizza pizza pizza. Michael Scott points us to the news that lawyers for pizza giant Little Caesars are threatening a Michigan restaurant with a trademark infringement claim, because it has an item on its menu called "Pizza Pizza Pizza." For years, Little Caesar's has used the slogan "Pizza Pizza." However, it's difficult to see how anyone goes into the Pronto! Restaurant, and sees the menu item "Pizza Pizza Pizza" and thinks, "gee, I must be getting a Little Caesar's pizza with 50% more pizza!"One aside, by the way. It's really amazing how often reporters mix up and interchange different types of intellectual property law. In the first paragraph, the reporter claims that the complaint is about "copyright," when the quote from Little Casear's (held off until the final paragraph) shows that it's clearly about trademark law. I can understand some confusion if it's never actually made clear, but this involves an article where the lawyer specifically notes that it's a trademark issue, and the reporter calls it a copyright issue in the opening... and doesn't put the quote in with the details until the very end. That just seems like really bad reporting.
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Filed Under: menu, pizza, pizza pizza, pizza pizza pizza, trademark
Companies: little caesar's
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A Comment on the Linked Article...
(MelissaD)
"I never knew Ilitch owned the word "pizza" and I do not see how this is infringing on Little Ceasars Hot N Nasty pizza"
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Jesus...
Why the hell is anyone eating pizza from a restaurant chain? I mean, okay, in some remote part of the country where it's the ONLY option, I guess I get it. But is there REALLY that many places w/o a mom and pop pizzaria? The chain pizzas (Dominoes, Pizza Hut, Li'l Ceasars, etc.) have pies in which the taste ranges somewhere between baked holocaust victim and cardboard....
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Re: Jesus...
I live in a large city (pop. over 1 million) and we have dozens of little mom and pop pizza places, some of which are worse than the chains. I have found 4 different places that I really love and not 1 of them delivered to my last apartment.
The best tasting pizza place was only about 8 blocks away, less than a 5 minutes drive but they wouldn't deliver more than 3 blocks east of their location; they do however deliver up to about 2 miles to the west of their location.
Note: I did not live in a bad neighborhood, it was one of the lowest crime areas for the city.
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Re: Re: Jesus...
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Re: Re: Re: Jesus...
I have lots of dinner parties, get togethers, movie nights, etc. at my house. I usually plan on being there to enjoy them myself.
Why are so many people on the internet snide a$$holes?
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Re: Jesus...
Chicago style deep dish is the clear winner.
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Re: Re: Jesus...
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Re: Re: Re: Jesus...
I know, and deep dish is better.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Jesus...
This is the only think I miss about living near Chicago. East coast pizza is typically terrible.
A couple of years ago, I stood in line 2 hours at a pizza shop that everyone in CT raves about and was disappointed to find cheese covered cardboard.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Jesus...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizza_in_the_United_States
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Re: Jesus...
The pizza chain debate is true of almost any large chain restaurant. Their offerings are about convenience and price, not about quality.
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Re: Jesus...
Dark; MOST of the country doesn't live in a suburban area. Most of the country in fact lives in rural areas, not so densely populated. In these areas no, there are no "Mom n Pops". AND: I live in the San Fernando Valley, this place is very densely populated, yet I have to drive to a suburb called "Van Nuys" to find anything like you might find in Chicago or Manhattan. And that's not really as good. You assh*les in the big cities don't really know very much about the rest of the country, if its not within walking distance it doesn't really exist. I get the whole metropolitan living thing, I really do. But a really large number of Americans spend their whole lives in rural areas only rarely visiting a large city. There are no "Mom n Pop" pizza joints on every block in the country.
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Re: Re: Jesus...
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Re: Re: Jesus...
1. Maria's Italian Kitchen (Northridge)
2. Pittfire Pizza (North Hollywood)
3. Two Guys From Italy (Granada Hills)
4. Ameci Pizza/Pasta (Sylmar)
5. The Pizza Cookery (Granada Hills)
6. Numero Uno Pizza (Northridge)
7. Ravanelli's Pizza (Northridge)
Now, for some places that I can confirm deliver to the San Fernando Valley:
1. Topanga Pizza
2. Round Table Pizza
3. Guido's Pizza/Pasta
4. Hi Pizza
5. Bacio Trattoria
6. Stone Fire Pizza
And that's w/o really even trying. The point isn't that everyone has a good pizza place. The point is that most people have an alternative to the fast food pizza chains and they should ALWAYS use them....
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Re: Re: Re: Jesus...
I'd have to check this one out.
2. Pittfire Pizza (North Hollywood)
Too far.
3. Two Guys From Italy (Granada Hills)
Too far.
4. Ameci Pizza/Pasta (Sylmar)
Too Far.
5. The Pizza Cookery (Granada Hills)
Too Far.
6. Numero Uno Pizza (Northridge)
Sucks.
7. Ravanelli's Pizza (Northridge)
I'd need to check this one out too.
1. Topanga Pizza
Crap, not Mom n Pop
2. Round Table Pizza
Good, but not Mom n Pop
3. Guido's Pizza/Pasta
Yes, I can pick up from here. Not bad. So you get one.
4. Hi Pizza
Never heard of it
5. Bacio Trattoria
Yes, decent pizza.
6. Stone Fire Pizza
Decent.
So yeah, there are a few places here, I'll give you that. But your statement was "everywhere". I still say that's not exactly true. Especially for Chicago or NY stylie.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Jesus...
Er, that's not at all what I said. I didn't say anything about needing to get Chicago or NY style, only something better than the chains. Nor did I say everywhere. I just questioned how many places existed where there wasn't SOME option adjoined to a chain pizza place. Copy/pasted below for your reading pleasure:
"I mean, okay, in some remote part of the country where it's the ONLY option, I guess I get it. But is there REALLY that many places w/o a mom and pop pizzaria?"
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Jesus...
But what's wrong with someone liking the chains over the locals? It's all a matter of taste, and that's different from person to person. I personally like Papa Johns over all others that I've tried (quite a few). I admit, I do have odd tastes.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Jesus...
Facepalm!
;)
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Jesus...
First, that sounds like a good idea.
Second, is that transformative, or some kind of topping copyright violation?
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Jesus...
FYI, Papa Johns started out of Chicago (or a suburb). It's as close to Chicago pizza as you can get from a chain....
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Jesus...
According to Wikipedia, The first Papa Johns was in Jeffersonville, Indiana. I always was told they started in Johnstown, PA.
"college" (dyslexia's a bitch.)
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Jesus...
I think the real question is: Are there really that many places w/o a mom and pop pizzeria that doesn't suck more than the chains.
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Re: Re: Jesus...
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Re: Jesus...
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Re: Jesus...
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Re: Jesus...
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Re: Jesus...
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Re: Jesus...
2. Holocaust victims were smoked. Later they were broiled for efficency.
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Re: Re: Jesus...
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Re: Re: Jesus...
2. Wait. What?
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Re: Jesus...
"The chain pizzas (Dominoes, Pizza Hut, Li'l Ceasars, etc.) have pies in which the taste ranges somewhere between baked holocaust victim and cardboard..."
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Re: Re: Jesus...
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Re: Jesus...
Where I live (bit north of Boston) there are many, many mom & pop pizza places. Sadly they all SUCK so bad that Little Caesars would be a vastly superior option (there was one by my house but it closed about 10 years ago).
Pretty much every pizza shop in MA serves greek style pizza which I despise. NY or Chicago style pizzas do not exist.
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Re: Jesus...
Still, I've been sent to the back of beyond to work and there are two things I can practically guarantee in any town over 4000 residents and that's at least 1 gas station and 1 pizza place. The pizza in those places ranges from crud to out of this world. I guess the latter is more common because you can't really get away with crud in a small place where everyone knows you even when you're off work.
I've been in smaller places where there's nothing much to see or do and you'll often find someone making pizza. On Indian reserves in the back of the back of beyond where you'll find, guess what?, pizza! Interesting toppings, mind, with such things a moose and deer and other meats that big city folks would turn their noses up at and veg you've never heard of before cause it's all local stuff that often doesn't grow anywhere else.
Of course I live in British Columbia so, outside of Vancouver, to most Americans the rest of the place is the back of beyond but I'm really talking back of back of back of beyond here! ;-)
And I won't contribute to the debate into what's the best pizza except to say it's thin crust done in a brick oven with fresh tomato sauce (not canned), fresh local veg and meat from a local butcher who knows how to make sausage rather than the stuff you find on sale in Safeway or Wal-Mart. Each pizza made from scratch by order. ;-)
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Re: Jesus...
But I agree on the other points. I used to eat Pizza Hut when I was younger and didn't care, but now.. screw that.
Little Caesar's? Little chance.
Even a "local" chain is 984652734657982365 times better than the national ones.
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It does seem like a misplaced lawsuit. I mean I get that you have to defend a trademark simply because of how our laws work, which is another subject altogether, but this seems misplaced.
That is, of course, unless the Michigan store is running a commercial with Muppets singing "Pizza Pizza Pizza"
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ok
25 years ago in a irc chat that was logged i claim the phrase
WHERE'S MY PIZZA
pay me now
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Reporters...
A while back I was interviewed by email for an article in a magazine. Imagine my surprise when the journalist not only misspelled the name of the city in which my company is located - the capital of Canada - she then went on to claim that I was living in The Netherlands...
I've never looked at journalists/journalism the same way again. I mean if they get simple things like that wrong with my piddlin' little interview... I did mention that the interview was by email right?
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Re:
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Little Caesar's bought the rights.
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used in commerce?
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Re: hello Dear,
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Re: Re: hello Dear,
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False Advertising
This is the most litigious culture that has ever existed, where's the lawsuit people?
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My god....
They're just trying to get back the old glorry.
At least Domininos tried to look like they were trying with their round of marketing about how they listened to complaints and made their pizza better...
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Re: My god....
I have four places to get pizza. Three of them are chains (Pizza Hut (only worth it for stuffed crust), Papa's Pizza (cheap and close to where I work), Domino's (cheap and actually pretty tasty)) The fourth place is independently owned, but not really been too impressed with their pizza.
Oh. At college they have a cafeteria-like deal, and there is a station with a brick pizza oven. They make good pizza, and occasionally do different things with the pizza, too. There's a Papa John's in a building across the street that's slightly faster to get pizza from, and larger slices, but the cafeteria is consistently better.
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Pizza Pizza!
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"Warning, Journalist does not understand the subject they are writing about"
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100813/11285210619.shtml
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#TacoTuesday ?
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question..
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Now, there are no LC's around here (New England area) and they don't even advertise on TV any more. I honestly thought the chain went out of business years ago.
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Pizza Pizza meant 2 pizzas in a box
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