“The nonprofit library cooperative that owns the Dewey Decimal system has filed suit against a library-themed luxury hotel in Manhattan for trademark infringement. The Library Hotel, which overlooks the New York Public Library, is divided according to the classification system, with each floor dedicated to one of Dewey’s 10 categories. Room 700.003 includes books on the performing arts, for example, while room 800.001 has a collection of erotic literature.” A lawyer for the library group, Joseph Dreitler, claims a “person who came to (the hotel’s) Web site … would think they were passing themselves off as connected with the owner of the Dewey Decimal Classification system.” Eugene Volokh (Sept. 21) makes short work of this argument and classifies the action as a cousin to Fox v. Franken in trademark law abuse. The suit demands triple the hotel’s profits since its opening. (AP/Wired News, Sept. 20; Kevin Drum; Perfidy.org; Hill-Kleerup.org). Update Nov. 29: case settled.
Dewey Decimal system owner sues Library Hotel
“The nonprofit library cooperative that owns the Dewey Decimal system has filed suit against a library-themed luxury hotel in Manhattan for trademark infringement. The Library Hotel, which overlooks the New York Public Library, is divided according to the classification system, with each floor dedicated to one of Dewey’s 10 categories. Room 700.003 includes books on […]
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