Silly as it may sound, trademark law is a curious thing, and Ford is moving to stop use of the F150 name (though note the lack of hyphenation) used by Ferrari for its latest Formula 1 car. The name was chosen by the Italian firm to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the country's unification.
Ford, however, doesn't appear to care about the justification. Instead, it's seeking an injunction against Ferrari to stop use of the name, protecting a mark of tremendous value to the company. Under trademark law--depending where and how the suit is brought--allowing infringement in even innocuous cases might constitute abandonment, voiding future suits against other, more objectionable, uses.
Neither Ford nor Ferrari have released official statements on the matter. We'll keep you posted as the situation develops.
Considering the outcome of the most recent Ford versus Ferrari confrontation, we're expecting the Blue Oval to come out on top.
