ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A Fayetteville woman wants to trademark her business’ name — despite a famous toy brand opposing the matter.
Amanda Kinsey said she began the process of trademarking the name “Amanda’s BarBeeQue” when she received a notice of opposition from Mattel, the company that owns Barbie.
“I saw all of these patents, and I was like, ‘Oh, this is for real,’” she said.
Kinsey started her business in 2017 and said she never faced any issues with its name. But in its 45-page opposition, Mattel listed multiple reasons why it thought “Amanda’s BarBeeQue” was too similar to “Barbie.” The notice said certain similarities could confuse customers.
Kinsey told Atlanta News First that the name and spelling of “BarBeeQue” comes from her grandmother.
“‘BarBeeQue’ is how my grandmother spelled barbeque,” she said. “I don’t think her education was past the fifth grade.”
As for the pink color scheme in her business’ brand, Kinsey said it represents breast cancer awareness after her grandmother’s death.
“All of this is to pay homage to my grandmother,” she said.
Kinsey said she would be open to working with the company to find a solution and is asking the community for support.
“I’m a person that believes love and hate can’t coexist in the same place,” she said. “And I really feel like we could really work together. I’m not trying to steal any of their customers.”
In a statement, Mattel said it “proudly supports entrepreneurs and inventors” and “has no interest in disrupting Ms. Kinsey’s business.”
“Quite the opposite; we wish her and her business great success,” the company said. “From the Barbie Dreamhouse to the Barbie Malibu Café, the Barbie brand is expressed in myriad ways through products and experiences, from apparel to foods, and our trademark, which affords protection against names that have a similar pronunciation, helps us ensure we can continue to do so, now and into the future.”
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