Barbie's barbie chain to get its day in court

[carswell]

The famous plastic doll and her maker, Mattel Inc., is doing battle with a Quebec restaurateur who named his eateries "Barbie's." The Supreme Court decided yesterday to hear the case along with a similar trademark tangle between champagne giant Veuve Clicquot and an Ontario boutique owner.

Spiro Christopoulos, who owns the four Montreal-area "Barbie's Bar and Grill" locations, is confident he'll win in the end but said his fight hasn't come cheap. He has spent more than $200,000 on the 11-year legal war.

- http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/WinnipegSun/...058109-sun.html

http://www.out-law.com/php/page.php?page_i...99671&area=news

[Pan]

What I'd like to know is whether there are any Barbie dolls or posters in the restaurants. If there are, I think Mattel should win, because the Barbie paraphernalia would show that the chain is trading on the name of the doll. If not, I hope Mattel loses, because "Barbie" just means "Barbecue" in (e.g.) Australian lingo.

I also think that Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin should lose their case against a clothing firm calling itself "Cliquot," unless they're putting out clothing with champagne themes or something. I don't know what Canadian law is on this, but in the U.S., if your company is clearly in a different industry and therefore isn't likely to cause confusion with another of the same name, you are generally home free. I cite the example of Century 21, a major real estate broker, and the unrelated discount clothing store of the same name on Cortlandt St. and Church in lower Manhattan.

[carswell]

Wholly suburban, it turns out. Off the beaten path for a downtowner like me. Anybody here been?

Barbie's

15, boulevard Bouchard

Dorval, QC H9S 5X2

7660, boulevard Newman

Lasalle, QC H8N 1X8

580, boulevard Saint-Martin ouest

Chomedey, QC H7M 3Y2

7850, boulevard Taschereau

Brossard, QC J4X 1C2

[wattacetti]

I have been dragged to one (Lasalle) - group thing and I wasn't the one driving. Chicken and ribs as I recall and not a wholly memorable experience though I'd peg some of that on the group and not necessarily on Barbie's.

[Pan]

Was there any Barbie© memorabilia, like dolls or posters?

[wattacetti]

Was there any Barbie© memorabilia, like dolls or posters?

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Not that I recall. Barbie's was more a "man's man" kind of place.

[maxanon]

Food is not worth the trip. Its on the BBQ barbie bent and not the doll. I think this is required to maintain copyright or something.

[miche]

Definitely NO Barbie Doll links. Barbies, the restaurant is a a sports bar. The concept is the same in both Brossard and Dorval (have not been to Lasalle) - unlimited bowls of popcorn, big screen TV's, free refills on soft drinks, huge portions (that would certainly not allow Barbie, the doll to keep her figure!). I think that Mattel is just wasting court time on this one!