The latest Transformer battle doesn’t involve Autobots and Decepticons. Instead, it involves two powerful companies and one famous trademark.Hasbro, the maker of the popular toys, has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Asus, after the consumer electronics company used the “transformer” name in its line of Android-based tablets. Asus unveiled the Eee Pad Transformer and the Transformer Prime earlier this year.
According to court documents filed in California, Hasbro contacted Asus about the Eee Pad Transformer prior to filing the lawsuit and requested that the company not use the name. However, “Asus refused to comply,” according to the complaint.
In addition to the product names, Hasbro also contends that advertisements for the Transformer Prime feature imagery that “closely resembles imagery used in Transformers movies and video games, in particular evoking the Transformers home planet of Cybertron.”
Hasbro is seeking damages for trademark infringement, unfair competition, and trademark dilution. It has also asked the court to stop Asus from using the Transformer name in its current or future products.
Source: PCmag.com
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