Companies and famous people regularly get upset when they think that someone is using their name for profit (see: Chick-fil-A, Lady Gaga, the Naked Cowboy) but that doesn't make this story in today's Post any sillier. Rolex, the luxury watch company, is suing a Fort Greene deli, the Rolex Deli, for trademark infringement. Because when looking for a soda or smokes we constantly bother to even register the name of the delis we're shopping at!
"There’s nothing Rolex-related on the menu," Rolex Deli owner and father of seven Shawqu Ali points out to the tabloid. He does admit he chose the name as an homage to the famous brand though (he wears what sounds like a knock-off Rolex himself, though he thinks it's legit). "It's a name that is associated with quality and prestige," he explains. "Apparently, Rolex doesn’t know the difference between a sandwich and a watch. Regular people know the difference."
The real Rolex wants Ali to change his deli's name, "pay unspecified damages and 'immediately destroy any and all signs, posters, advertising, promotional or marketing materials or supplies' related to the name." Ali says he is going to fight it (though he probably doesn't have much of a leg to stand on). Look, we get why the watch company wants to be careful with its brand—it's a strong brand—but c'mon! A deli? Has a single person ever thought, as the federal suit claims, that the Rolex deli "and their services and goods are in some way affiliated with Rolex"? Because we would love to meet this person and sell them a "Rolex."
