Hall & Oates File Lawsuit Over Soundalike Granola Product ["Haulin' Oats"]

The Wrap via Yahoo! ^ | 3/5/15 | Tim Kenneally

[Slings and Arrows]

Clever wordplay in granola branding? Daryl Hall & John Oates can’t go for that. At least in this case.

Hall & Oates — the duo behind hits such as “Maneater,” “Kiss on My List,” “Private Eyes” and “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)” — have slapped Early Bird Foods & Co with legal action over the company’s Haulin’ Oats granola, which has clearly left a bad taste in the musicians’ mouths.

The suit, filed in U.S. district court in New York on Wednesday, claims that Hall and Oates owns the trademark and service mark rights to the Haulin’ Oats name, as it pertains to the sale of oatmeal and the provision of food delivery services.

[Slings and Arrows]

They didn't find out about it sooner because they were Out Of Touch...

[Slings and Arrows]

---

[LowOiL]

Silly lawsuit, anything that gives a new generation reason to look back at your music is more profits for you in the long run. IMHO.

[Slings and Arrows]

When you’ve got a brand, you’ve got to protect it.

[Fungi]

As if they don’t have enough money already. But I can see their point. Money makes money.

[moovova]

Probably off with Sarah on a turnaround.

[Olog-hai]

Cover of their first album. Their names did not appear at the top originally; they were a duo called “Whole Oats” at the time, IINM, the first word of which actually sounds more like Hall’s birth name “Hohl”.

[a fool in paradise]

[who_would_fardels_bear]

I don't understand.

Are they claiming that the sound of people eating this oatmeal sounds too much like their music?

[Fiddlstix]

Good Grief!

[grania]

Silly lawsuit

Not really. If they'd said "hauling oats" it would've been suggestive of the music and clever. PR companies are supposed to know how not to cross the infringement line.

[Slings and Arrows]

[TigersEye]

The lawsuit will bring even more attention to them.

[rdcbn]

The lawsuit will bring even more attention to them.

---

Have not even heard mention of Hall and Oates since the mid 1980’s.

Most people under the age of 40 have never heard of them.either and could care less.

[shibumi]

From looking at that picture, it seems to me the cereal company should sue *them* for using their product image.

[Slings and Arrows]

Pretty sure the statute of limitations has run out on that one.

[ApplegateRanch]

Guess no one bothered reading the article, and discovering they own the trademark, and were already in partnership with a company selling under that trademarked name.

[smokingfrog]

[mykroar]

Agree to a point, but I'd like to answer this lawsuit with the following:

Hayseed Dixie plays Highway to Hell

[Patriot Babe]

OMG ROFL ROFL Thanks for the laugh