From MSNBC: The founders of the Jewish Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, a planned online museum celebrating Jewish contributions to rock music, have been slapped in their punims by a lawsuit, even though their won’t launch until next month. The Cleveland-based Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame wants the Jewish site to stop using their title, claiming that it infringes on their branding rights.
Jeffrey Goldberg, a writer for The New Yorker magazine and one of the Jewish rock hall founders says
Yo, Yenta!
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They sure don’t own the rights to the individual elements but when they are all together it may confuse consumers and therefore infringes on the trademark rights to the name “Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame”. Its like someone using the name “Jewish General Motors”, GM doesn’t own the rights to the individual words “General” or “Motors” but together it forms their trademarked identity. I don’t see anything wrong with using “Jewish Hall of Fame of Rock n’ Roll” instead. It doesn’t sound as cool but I can’t see why not. Any other trademark lawyers want to chime in?