According to a report published on PR Newswire, Dania Furniture has been busted by the Estate of Humphrey Bogart for misuse of the "Bogart" name. Specifically, Dania, Plummers Furniture, Scandinavian Designs (all three terrible companies owned by Interline/Scandinavian Design) were named in the a lawsuit alleging trademark infringment for releasing a line of furniture called the Bogart. The lawsuit was filed in May 2010 and a year later, in May 2011. Details of the settlement are confidential, and we hope they had to pay a bunch of dough.
It's reasonable to assume that Interline freaked out, because they were caught red handed and folded like the weak fools we all know they are. What a pathetic and weak showing; it appears as though Interline/Scandinavian Design crumbled under the pressure of getting caught and fessed up immediately. No need for Guantanamo here...most likely a few bad interrogation tactics from a predictable (redundant) episode of Law & Order was all that was necessary for the confession.
This type of tomfoolery should not come as a surprise to anyone, whether it's about Dania or its two, equally terrible counterparts. Misusing an American legend's name to upgrade Dania's notorious image is not only tasteless, crass and terrible - but something we have become accustomed to putting up with. Trampling on one American icon's name is terrible, but who's to say that it won't happen again. Who's next? Ken Griffey Jr? Rosa Parks? Justin Bieber? How much of America can they ruin before we as a people stand up for what is right and good about our country? We can't stand idle and let this happen; please take a moment to call any Interline/Scandinavian Design store - be it Dania, Plummers, and/or Scandinavian Design and tell them how incensed you are about this debacle.
For cryin' out loud, this guy was in Casablanca, and they've cheapened his name to a line of inanimate objects people sit on for which credit was not given where it was due. For the sake of that man's legacy, I hope the settlement did his memory justice. Mr. Bogart's contribution to film and American culture defined him as one of the most esteemed names in pop culture history after decades of refining his craft...only to have his name urinated upon, in the form of his name being stamped on subpar furniture for the sake of a terrible company to reap the benefits of his brand equity. I feel dirty just thinking about it.
Dania, shame on you. This fight just got that much more personal. Seriously.
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