MolaKule
Staff member
ExxonMobil subsidiary sues
Greenpeace for trademark
infringement
PARIS (AFP) Jun 24, 2002
Esso, a subsidiary of US
oil giant ExxonMobil, has
asked a French court to
bar environmental
pressure group
Greenpeace from using a
mock version of the
company trademark on its
website.
Esso has demanded that its logo be taken off Greenpeace
France's website and that a 80,000-euro (78,000-dollar)
fine be imposed for each day that the organization fails to
do so following the court's decision.
The case will be heard on July 1.
Greenpeace, which accuses ExxonMobil of sabotaging the
UN's Kyoto Protocol on global warming and of encouraging
US President George W. Bush to ditch the international
treaty, replaced the double-s in Esso with two dollar signs
on its site.
"The law forbids the distortion or misrepresentation of a
trademark. Greenpeace is not above the law," said an
Esso spokesman in France.
"We have just asked them to take the logo off their site.
We're not trying to keep them from expressing
themselves," he said in response to Greenpeace
accusations that Esso was attacking their right to freedom
of expression.
Greenpeace launched its international "StopEsso"
campaign several weeks ago, hitting out at what it says
are ExxonMobil's dubious policies on the environment and
global warming.
Last month, some 60 activists blocked an ExxonMobil oil
refinery in northwestern France for a full day until a court
ordered them to leave the site, a week ahead of a visit to
France by Bush.
Greenpeace for trademark
infringement
PARIS (AFP) Jun 24, 2002
Esso, a subsidiary of US
oil giant ExxonMobil, has
asked a French court to
bar environmental
pressure group
Greenpeace from using a
mock version of the
company trademark on its
website.
Esso has demanded that its logo be taken off Greenpeace
France's website and that a 80,000-euro (78,000-dollar)
fine be imposed for each day that the organization fails to
do so following the court's decision.
The case will be heard on July 1.
Greenpeace, which accuses ExxonMobil of sabotaging the
UN's Kyoto Protocol on global warming and of encouraging
US President George W. Bush to ditch the international
treaty, replaced the double-s in Esso with two dollar signs
on its site.
"The law forbids the distortion or misrepresentation of a
trademark. Greenpeace is not above the law," said an
Esso spokesman in France.
"We have just asked them to take the logo off their site.
We're not trying to keep them from expressing
themselves," he said in response to Greenpeace
accusations that Esso was attacking their right to freedom
of expression.
Greenpeace launched its international "StopEsso"
campaign several weeks ago, hitting out at what it says
are ExxonMobil's dubious policies on the environment and
global warming.
Last month, some 60 activists blocked an ExxonMobil oil
refinery in northwestern France for a full day until a court
ordered them to leave the site, a week ahead of a visit to
France by Bush.
