The company that provides a line of granola entitled "Haulin' Oats" is being sued by rock legends Daryl Hall and John Oates for, well, the obvious.
“The name and mark Haulin’ Oats is an obvious play upon Plaintiff’s well-known Hall & Oates mark, and was selected by defendant in an effort to trade off of the fame and notoriety associated with the artist’s and plaintiff’s well-known marks,” the suit states.
"Haulin' Oats" granola is sold by
Early Bird Foods, a company based in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn. The granola in question, which costs $27 for 3 packs of the product, is advertised as such:
This back-to-basics flavor is perfect by itself or as the base for a breakfast parfait creation. Haulin’ Oats is great for school lunches too, it’s nut free!
The New York Post says the two Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, who started working together while attending Temple University in 1967, are seeking damages and asking that the company change the name of their product.
Early Bird Foods acknowledged the lawsuit on their twitter page:
And then quickly utilized the publicity for a promotion:
One thing is for sure, the company is milking the legal battle for all it's worth:
