Wisconsin grocery stores clash over road sign trademark logo

Listen to this article

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Two Wisconsin grocers are clashing in court over their logos.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (http://bit.ly/2hwys1Z ) that Metcalfe, Inc., which runs two supermarkets in the Madison area and one in Wauwatosa, filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against Festmark Inc., which does business as Festival Foods. The lawsuit contends that Festmark stole Metcalfe’s idea for logos that are shaped like road signs to suggest food that is grown locally.

The lawsuit alleges Festmark’s logo is “confusingly similar” to Metcalfe’s trademarked design. The company accused Festmark of both infringing on the trademark and of unfair competition. The lawsuit asks a judge to block Festmark’s use of the logo as well as order Festmark to destroy all its goods and advertisements with the logo and pay unspecified damages and costs.

A Festival spokesman didn’t respond to inquiries from the Journal Sentinel. An email The Associated Press sent to the company on Friday wasn’t immediately returned. Online court records didn’t indicate an attorney for the company.

Festmark is based in De Pere and Onalaska. It operates 25 supermarkets, including four that opened this year. Among them was the company’s first store in Madison, which stands about five miles from one Metcalfe store and about eight miles from another.