Computer products marketer Tiger Direct Inc. filed a lawsuit against Apple Computer on Thursday, accusing Apple of trademark infringement and unfair trade practices.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Florida, is in response to Apple’s recent marketing campaign for the latest version of its Mac OS X operating system, named “Tiger.” In a statement, the Miami-based cataloger and e-tailer cited the “perceived confusion” regarding the new brand, and said it was asking for a temporary restraining order and injunction against Apple.
Apple has been promoting the “Tiger” release since April 12, according to Tiger Direct, and is directing consumers to a “Tiger Center” which “features products from manufacturers and product categories which are basically the same as the offerings by Tiger Direct.”
Tiger Direct was founded in 1987. Apple products are sold on TigerDirect.com.
A preliminary injunction hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, May 3. In a separate release, Apple said “Tiger” was scheduled to go on sale today, April 29, at 6 p.m. The company is planning premiere events at it’s 105 retail stores that night offering workshops, demonstrations and giveaways.
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