Footsy Furor
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Perhaps the line of reasoning is that Chateau Lafite, being expensive, is sort of plural (viz. “La Feet”), while Barefoot is cheap, hence singular (“La Foot”). In any case, under threat of a lawsuit, winery owner Michael Houlihan has agreed to change the longtime slogan of his Barefoot line from “The Chateau La Feet of California wine” to “The Chateau La Foot of California wine.”
The change was made after a Paris-based company imposingly named Societe Civile de Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, citing U.S. Trademark Registration Nos. 1,200,616 and 1,212,649, demanded that Barefoot cease carrying that slogan on the ground that there could be confusion between the $100-a-bottle Lafite and the $3.99-a-bottle La Feet.
Said Houlihan, “How can there be any confusion? But I made the change because I can’t afford to do battle with these guys, even if I win.”
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