Porsche battles shoe company over use of Cayman name

By Matt Brogan | November 12th, 2009

In what has to be one of the most random pieces of news to cross the CarAdvice desk in sometime, Porsche, manufacturer of one of the world’s most beautiful cars, is battling with Crocs, manufacturer of the world’s ugliest shoe, over use of the Cayman name for one of its plastic footwear offerings.

Porsche claims that Crocs’ use of the Cayman name infringes on the manufacturer’s entry-level hardtop sports car.

Crocs received an unpleasant cease and desist letter from Porsche in May.

The letter asked Crocs to stop using the Cayman name and also said that Porsche wants the shoe company to reimburse it for any legal costs incurred in sending the notice.

“The company intends to vigorously defend itself against these claims,” Crocs said in a statement.

A more formal injunction was filed in Germany on July 30.

Family Guy

Maybe if they had called it ‘Caiman’ after the crocodile species there wouldn’t be a problem.
Iz

Why oh why do these shoes even exist? They -really- are the world’s ugliest shoe. But definitely random news indeed.
http://skyline The Salesman

Why not do a deal with Porsche? For every car purchased you get a free pair of shoes? Or, croc changes their pricing to say $80,000.00 for a pair of shoes and they throw in a free Porsche. Bargain.

Camski

Haha I like that But I wouldn’t be seen dead wearing those things lol

Reckless1

Just as well Ray Kroc is dead, or he’d pursue them as well……

But really, what a croc of crap – as if anyone in the Porsche social class would even know what these disgusting items of footwear are.

They are used exclusively in Boganville where rusted old Falcons on leaky LPG are the norm.

Hung Low

“They are used exclusively in Boganville where rusted old Falcons on leaky LPG are the norm”

Takes one to know one doesn’t it high flyer!

Reckless1

Haha, pathetic attempt son – you clearly are from Boganville. I wasn’t sure they had the Internets there?

I wear RM Williams and drive a Golf GTI. No LPG schmidtboxes for me.

Minnow

RM Williams? Thats a bit daft. Surprised you don’t drive a Landcruiser, wear a light blue business shirt, an Akubra and chew on a straw of wheat. What are you? A try hard cowboy?!

Are you serious?

While Porsche is at it, they should also sue the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean for using the Cayman name as well. Given the Cayman Islands is a major financial centre and tax haven with lots of hedge funds and financial types based there, I am sure Porsche must have sold quite a few Cayman cars there as well, and must be frothing at the mouth over the gall of the islands to be using their name. The fact that the islands used the Cayman name since the 1600′s should not stop Porsche suing them.
http://carz.com/ Carz

All I can say is Porsche Cayman is the best. It’s an awesome car. Maybe that’s why Crocs used the name to label their shoe…to equate their shoe to the car hehehe They should have asked permission first though. Just change the name Crocs.
http://skyline The Salesman

Just change the name to iShoe2.0.

swampdawg

Crud footware, they don’t stop high speed mower rocks and they let in leaches and bull ants.

DGS

Fair enough if another car maker had called their product “K-Man” or simular, but these goddamn hidious items of footwear are not even in the same class of product to be confused with a sports car. How many companies us the name “falcon” for something in their product range? Google it. Is ford trying to sue for exclusivity? Would anyone take them seriously if they did?

If you name your product after an animal or a place forget exclusivity of naming rights. If the shoe was called a “911″ then there may be a valid point. Why not sue people for naming there offspring “Porsche”. If a such named person grows up to become infamous and a byword for “cheap and nasty litte peice of work” that will do the company so much more damage.
Bob

Lets hope this goes to court. Porsche wont win, so it will be interesting to see if Porsche can bully them to stop without having to have egg on their face when they lose the case in court.

Hung Low

Agree,
BMW has been doing this over Mini name for a while, suing small workshops, parts suppliers etc that have been around way before they ever bought the ‘Mini’ name!

milkyway

An iconic auto manufacturer quarreling with a sandal maker? Pulzee!!! Wake ye descendants of Ferdinand Porsche. What are they thinking?
Wonder why waste time and resources on such a trivial matter. The name Cayman is not proprietary to Porsche and they must learn to share it especially with a product that is distinctly different. Since their merger with Audi, they are begining to sound like a bunch of losers…
http://www.CarZ.com CarZ

Is this a comedy of errors? I can’t even believe it would go so far? C’mon, the great carmakers like Porsche should have blown that sandal store clear out of the water. Why the waste of time??