“What?!” I hear you cry.
Well it’s true- but not what you are thnking, I’m sure. It’s not the lovable, spikey, blue rogue with 15 year old sneakers that we all know and love.
It’s ‘Sonic Drive-In’ the ‘famous’ (or at least soon to be- if they win their case) fast food joint. Founded in 1953 and located in 33 States (in the US), the fast food chain is now sueing Sega over the use of “Sonic the Hedgehog”, claiming their to be “trademark confusion” between their burgers and a speedy hedgehog.
“Customers looking to purchase a delicious value menu meal, one of many affordable options at Sonic, may instead accidentally spend $50 on a video game,” the Sonic Corporation released in a statement. “This is trickery and deception at its most vile.”
-Yeah sure, I can see it now. A family walks into Sonic and sits down at their table and demand they are served a plate of fries and a ‘Sonic and the Secret Rings’.
-”What? You mean you don’t sell video games here?! Oh I’m terribly sorry, you see I’m an idiot”
Sonic (the burger joint) is seeking some $3 Billion in ‘damages’ as well as an injunction barring Sega from ever using the name of Sonic.
“Sega has been profiting on the Sonic name, and we want it to stop,” said Burt Wonters, Sonic’s Executive Vice President of Publice Affairs. “It’s like our slogan says: Sonic’s got it, other’s don’t. Sega wants to have it, but it can’t. We won’t let them.”
Personally I think this is possibly the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Sega have been making a profit on Sonic for the last 15 years- why only take it up now? And it’s the name of the character, you don’t hear about Mario pizza places getting worked up over Nintendo’s main character. If the hedgehog was a burger and Sega sold burgers then perhaps I could see a case.
Seems to me as though Sonic Drive-In are trying to get themselves some attention and bag themselves a nice cash prize in the process. I certainly have never heard of them before now- but then again I don’t live in the US, perhaps you good American folk can enlighten me.
Personally I think the best thing to do would be let Sega sell their Sonic video games in the restaurants - that way if anybody does get confused about whether they are hungry or need a video game fix, they can order both.
[Original Source: thegamerag.com]
