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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
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join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK

KrK to en102

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Re: AT&T Prepares to Sue Consumer Reports...

Yeah, but you can't use Consumer Reports in your commercials. They forbid it, it's part of their mission to stay neutral. (IE you can't claim they are biased since Corp XYZ paid them $$$ to use such report 1234 in an Ad or magazine, etc)

ifarrell
join:2000-08-10
Willow Spring, NC

ifarrell

Member

They can't quote them directly but they can say "according to a top consumer magazine....".

Jim Gurd
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join:2000-07-08
Livonia, MI

Jim Gurd to KrK

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said by KrK:

Yeah, but you can't use Consumer Reports in your commercials. They forbid it,
Exactly how do they do this? As long as it's truthful information they have no power to stop companies from using their name.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
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Tulsa, OK
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KrK

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I'd imagine they'd claim their reports and surveys are copyright and can't be used without permission. Which they won't grant. And their name(s) are registered trademarks.

From : »www.consumerreports.org/ ··· hod=auto
quote:
Published information from Consumers Union, including our Ratings and Reports, is intended solely for the benefit of our subscribers and other consumers, in order to help them make informed choices and decisions about consumer products, services, and other consumer matters. Such information may not be used by others in advertising or to promote a company’s product or service. In addition, this policy precludes any commercial use of any of Consumers Union’s published information in any form, or of the names of Consumers Union®, Consumer Reports®, or any other of Consumers Union’s publications or services, without our express written permission.

JammerMan79
Premium Member
join:2004-05-13
Prince George, BC

JammerMan79 to Jim Gurd

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consumer reports is a trademark

Jim Gurd
Premium Member
join:2000-07-08
Livonia, MI

Jim Gurd to KrK

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said by KrK:

I'd imagine they'd claim their reports and surveys are copyright and can't be used without permission. Which they won't grant. And their name(s) are registered trademarks.

From : »www.consumerreports.org/ ··· hod=auto
quote:
Published information from Consumers Union, including our Ratings and Reports, is intended solely for the benefit of our subscribers and other consumers, in order to help them make informed choices and decisions about consumer products, services, and other consumer matters. Such information may not be used by others in advertising or to promote a company’s product or service. In addition, this policy precludes any commercial use of any of Consumers Union’s published information in any form, or of the names of Consumers Union®, Consumer Reports®, or any other of Consumers Union’s publications or services, without our express written permission.
I don't think that would stand up in court. Besides couldn't a company that got a bad rating do the same thing to them? Consumer Reports is making a profit selling their magazine so they can't claim they are non commercial.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
Netgear WNDR3700v2
Zoom 5341J

KrK

Premium Member

Actually, it's Consumer Reports.org I believe (A non profit.)

Also, it does stand up in court. Companies have stopped trying. It's been years since I heard of a lawsuit where Consumer Reports has had to force someone to stop using their name or trademark in advertising.

Consumer Reports also has been sued by manufacturers that don't like the negative reviews. They win, or rarely, they settle, every now and then they make a mistake but it's few and far between.