Tag: restaurant

  • JibJab Sues White Castle for Infringing Mark in Social Media Ad Campaign

    JibJab Media Inc., a digital media company known for its photo cut-out animated videos sometimes used as political satire, has filed a trademark infringement suit against White Castle, alleging that the fast-food chain has infringed its trademarks by launching a social media ad campaign called “Jib Jab Chicken Ring” to promote its “chicken rings” menu…

  • Court Dismisses Robo-Call Litigation as to Domino’s Pizza

    A federal court in Washington has dismissed franchisor Domino’s Pizza from litigation alleging that a franchisee’s use of automatic calls with a prerecorded message to numbers stored from previous orders violated state and federal laws prohibiting “robo-calls.” Anderson v. Domino’s Pizza, Inc., No. 11-902 (W.D. Wash., decided May 15, 2012). While the claims against the franchisee…

  • Starbucks Can Limit Number of Pro-Union Buttons Worn by Employees

    The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has determined that Starbucks Corp. did not violate federal labor law by adopting a dress code which limits the number of pro-union buttons its employees can wear on their uniforms. NLRB v. Starbucks Corp., Nos. 10-3511, 10-3783 (2d Cir., decided May 10, 2012). The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)…

  • Australian Court Finds KFC Liable for Injury Caused by Salmonella-Tainted Chicken

    An Australian court has reportedly awarded $8 million to the family of a girl who allegedly ate a Salmonella-contaminated chicken product from a KFC restaurant and became critically ill with organ system failures, septic shock, severe brain injury, and spastic quadriplegia. Samaan v. Kentucky Fried Chicken Pty Ltd., No. 2006/20457 (NSW Sup. Ct., decided April…

  • NLRB Judge Finds Fast-Food Facebook® Post Encouraged Harassment of Union Supporter

    A National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) administrative law judge has determined that the owner of 10 Jimmy John’s fast-food restaurants in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area violated federal law during a labor dispute by, among other matters, posting a pro-union employee’s phone number on its Facebook® page and suggesting that members text the employee to “let…

  • Insurers Seek Reimbursement for Costs of Defending Restaurant in Food Toxin Suit

    The insurance carriers for Rubio’s Restaurant have filed a motion for summary judgment in a dispute with the company that insured the restaurant’s fish supplier, following the settlement of claims pursued by a restaurant patron who alleged that he has permanent and severe neurological injuries from exposure to a toxin from the mahi mahi in…

  • Chipotle Claims Kroger Chicken Product Infringes and Dilutes Its Trademark

    Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., which operates 1,250 “fast-casual” restaurants throughout the United States, has sued The Kroger Co. in Colorado federal court, alleging that the grocery store chain has infringed the CHIPOTLE® trademark by using the descriptor on its spicy fried chicken take-out products. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. v. The Kroger Co, 12-930 (D. Colo., filed…

  • California Court Nixes Effort to Stop McDonald’s from Selling Happy Meals with Toys

    A California superior court has dismissed with prejudice putative class claims filed against McDonald’s Corp. seeking to enjoin the company from advertising Happy Meals® to children featuring toys. Parham v. McDonald’s Corp., No. 10-506178 (Cal. Super. Ct., San Francisco Cty., decided April 4, 2012). Additional information about the case appears in Issues 375, 391 and…