By Jamie Barrie T he latest copy cat company is located in Yamunanagar, India, and its name is just two letters away from the coffee chain Tim Hortons name. That is the only real difference, as other then the two letters, the Tim Hottens logo and branding appear to be very similar to the Canadian restaurant chain with the font and colour of the name in its logo is nearly identical.
Tim Hottens even uses the phrases “always fresh” and “cafe & bake shop,” and the red-hued striped background in its logo.
“While we believe that imitation is often the sincerest form of flattery, we do have very high standards when it comes to our brand, the quality of our products and the service we provide our guests,” said Jane Almeida, a spokeswoman for Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the parent company of Tim Hortons.
“Therefore, we will be taking steps to protect our brand and trademarks, including closing down this imitation restaurant.”
This is not the first Tim Horton’s imitator has brewed up. In 2015 Tim Horton’s acted to protect its trademark against Tim House Cafe in South Korea which also had a logo that was similar to that of Tim Hortons.
Tim Hortons is not the only Canadian business that has had to deal with brand impostors.
In 2012, luxury winter jacket maker Canada Goose Holdings Inc. won a counterfeit case against Swedish based company that had sold thousands of counterfeit Canada Goose jackets and other luxury brand products.
More recently, Lululemon Athletica Canada Inc. started a legal fight in the U.S. against hundreds of online stores selling counterfeit Lululemon goods.
Although imitation might be the best form of flattery for some things, it does not fly when it comes to protecting your brand.
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OCTOBER 2018 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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