Bob Marley’s Estate Suing Raising Cane’s Over ‘One Love’ Phrase
Raising Cane's is known for having "One Love" for fresh, never frozen chicken tenders, but right now they are getting "No Love" from the estate of Bob Marley. 56 Hope Road Music, a company run by Marley's children and widow, Rita, is suing Cane's for the use of their catch phrase, "One Love."
SPIN magazine reports that the federal lawsuit was filed Friday in Massachusetts by the company against the Baton Rouge-based restaurant chain alleging Cane's hijacking of the phrase was "willful and deliberate."
While Hope Road legally has the trademark to the phrase in certain circumstances, Cane's retains the right in others, which has led to the Marleys' attempts to register for different uses to be denied.
In a statement released earlier today, franchise CEO Todd Graves said Raising Cane's will continue to defend their rights to use the phrase that they obtained a trademark for in 2005, and have used without conflict.
Raising Cane's looks forward to proving our position in court, putting this matter behind us and continuing to pursue our ONE LOVE -- serving our communities our quality chicken finger meals
The lawsuit claims that "Marley One Love" has been used for restaurant services as early as 1999 and Cane's use of the phrase "Cane's One Love" in their advertising and on their menus and merchandise is "confusingly similar."
The late Reggae star recorded "One Love" in 1965. It was released with the Wailers in 1977 on Exodus, and 3 years after Marley died of cancer at age 36 on Legend - a greatest hits collection released in 1984. In 1999 it was named Song of the Millenium by the BBC.
Who's side are you on? #TeamCanes or #TeamMarley?
(Honestly, whichever way this goes, I just hope the service at Cane's stays the same. Their food is delicious and their workers are the NICEST people EVER!)
Hopefully, they both find "One Love."
[via SPIN]
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