Tampa, Florida Internet Company Sued for Trademark Infringement for Novelty Pay Stubs
Ever wish your pay stub showed a higher salary? Well, an internet company in Tampa, Florida offers to print a novelty pay stub for $89.95 that looks genuine according to an article in Newsday. The company’s novelty paycheck stubs, however, are at the center of a trademark infringement lawsuit brought in San Jose, California.
New Jersey based Automatic Data Processing, Inc. believes that the Florida company’s fake check stubs are infringing rights to their trademark and damaging their reputation. ADP has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in San Jose, California against NoveltyPaycheckStubs.com and the operators of the website. The complete article is available in the St. Petersburg Times.
What should you do if you come across unauthorized usage of your company’s trademarks on the internet?
Remember that trademarks function to exclusively identify the source or origin of a product or service by a name, word, sound, picture, design, image, logo, and the like. As the trademark owner, you have a legal right to prevent any unauthorized use of your trademark. In fact, if you fail to do so, you could permanently lose rights to the trademark on your goods or services.
Any unauthorized usage of your company’s name or brand identity should immediately be brought to the attention of a trademark attorney so that enforcement options can be evaluated.