Penguin Random House and the "Random House" Dorm
| the publishing house Penguin Random House (parent company of Puffin Books) sent a cease and desist to a college dorm for trying to name that dorm "Random House" | |
|---|---|
| Number | 9 |
| Discovered By | WASLaplace |
| Discovered At | enimal kingdom |
Penguin Random House is a multinational publishing house that owns many well-known publishing brands, including Puffin Books. In 2016, Penguin Random House sent a cease and desist letter to a college dorm at the University of California, Berkeley, for trying to name that dorm "Random House."
The dorm was originally named "Random House" as a way to honor the many great books that have been published by the company. However, Penguin Random House argued that the use of its name without permission could lead to consumer confusion and damage its reputation.
The college dorm eventually agreed to change its name to "Random Hall" in order to resolve the dispute. However, the incident raised questions about the scope of trademark protection and the rights of businesses to control the use of their names.
Trademark law
Trademark law is designed to protect consumers from being confused about the source of goods and services. A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, or design that identifies the goods or services of one party and distinguishes them from the goods and services of others.
Companies have the exclusive right to use their trademarks in connection with the goods and services that they offer. If another party uses a company's trademark without permission, the company may bring a trademark infringement lawsuit.
Consumer confusion
Penguin Random House argued that the use of the name "Random House" by the college dorm could lead to consumer confusion. Consumers might mistakenly believe that the dorm was affiliated with the publishing company, or that the publishing company was endorsing the dorm.
Damage to reputation
Penguin Random House also argued that the use of the name "Random House" by the college dorm could damage its reputation. If the dorm was associated with negative publicity, it could reflect poorly on the publishing company.
Resolution of the dispute
The college dorm eventually agreed to change its name to "Random Hall" in order to resolve the dispute. This change was sufficient to address Penguin Random House's concerns about consumer confusion and damage to reputation.
Conclusion
The incident between Penguin Random House and the college dorm raised important questions about the scope of trademark protection and the rights of businesses to control the use of their names. However, the dispute was ultimately resolved amicably.