Kraftwerk have taken legal action against a tech form using its band name.
You're on the road and need to use your phone, tablet or camera but it's out of power. No problem. Just pull out your kraftwerk fuel cell and you are good to go.
Well, maybe not quite yet, at least if Ralf Hutter of the German electronica pioneers Kraftwerk has anything to say about it. Hutter has filed a lawsuit for trademark infringement against eZelleron, Inc., the company who has financed the production of the new product through KickStarter to the tune of $1.5 million.
The question is whether the group's trademark actually extends to cover the kraftwerk name in the power/fuel cell market. Initial thoughts are that it doesn't except for one small hitch, 'kraftwerk' translates from German to English as 'power station'.
The suit states 'Defendant is taking advance orders for the KRAFTWERK charging device, therefore, consumers are likely to assume that there is a connection, association, or relationship between the famous electronic Music band and a charger for portable musical-playing devices.'
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