Reference no: EM133467288

Problem

In the case of Coca-Cola Co. v. Koke Co. of America, the Coca-Cola Co. sought to enjoin The Koke Co. of America and other beverage companies from, among other things, using the word Koke for their products. Koke contended that the Coca-Cola trademark was a fraudulent representation and that Coca-Cola was thus not entitled to an injunction. Koke alleged that Coca-Cola, by its use of the Coca-Cola name, represented that the beverage contained cocaine (from coca leaves). The court granted the injunction against Koke, but an appellate court reversed. Coca-Cola appealed to the United States Supreme Court.

The United States Supreme Court upheld the trial court's decision. The Supreme Court acknowledged that before 1900 Coca-Cola's good will was enhanced by the presence of a small amount of cocaine, but that the cocaine had long been eliminated from the drink. The Court underscored that Coca-Cola was not "a medicine" and that its attraction did not lay in producing "a toxic effect." Since 1900 sales had increased. The name had come to characterize a well known beverage to be had almost anywhere "rather than a compound of particular substances." The Court noted that before this suit was brought Coca-Cola had advertised that the public would not find cocaine in Coca-Cola. "[I]t would be going too far to deny the plaintiff relief against a palpable fraud because possibly here and there are ignorant person might call for the drink with the hope for incipient cocaine intoxication."

Question: Should the principles applied in this case to the confusingly similar product of a domestic manufacturer also apply to the goods of foreign producers? Why or why not?