Dispute Over Trademark Ends in Settlement for Michigan Candidate
A recent legal dispute between Shelby Campbell, a contender for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, and the Campbell’s Company has concluded with a settlement. The conflict arose when the soup manufacturer accused Campbell of infringing on its trademark and misrepresenting an endorsement through her campaign materials.
In September, Campbell’s took legal action by filing a lawsuit in Michigan’s Eastern District. They claimed that Campbell was benefiting from the company’s branding, which led to a court order on Thursday mandating her to cease using the Campbell’s trademark logo. However, she retains the right to use the word “soup” in her campaign, provided it does not imply any connection to the soup company.
Shelby Campbell, who runs the “soup4change” campaign, expressed her contentment with the settlement, stating, “I said, ‘I will die or I will go to prison before I can’t use the word “soup,”‘” she shared with Michigan Public. “I was like, ‘You cannot restrict that,’ … and we came to the agreement, so I’m not infringed, or I have not infringed upon Campbell’s, and I can use the word ‘soup’ as long as I don’t say that they are endorsing me.”
The courtroom experience was a tense one for her, as she described the judge as “a little sassy,” adding that the judge found the situation unnecessary. “She just, like, looked at us like children,” Campbell recounted. “She was like, come on. … She was like, this is ridiculous. We did not need to be here.”
Previously, Campbell had incorporated the soup company’s logo into her campaign stickers and social media posts. The settlement stipulates the removal of these “disputed images” by November 21, ensuring no further use of “Campbell’s Mark and trade dress.”
James Regan, Campbell’s Company’s director of external communications, emphasized the importance of the agreement section where the defendant agreed to discontinue the use of the challenged materials. Meanwhile, Campbell is rebranding with a new logo in hot pink and black, aiming to refresh the political landscape with a more relatable approach. “It’s time for a different look of politics,” she said. “It doesn’t need to be so serious. Not everybody is so serious, and politics is supposed to represent everybody, and we just want to live and be happy.”
Despite the legal battle, Campbell plans to maintain “soup4change” as her email and social media identity, a name she claims has been part of her life for a long time. She remarked, “It’s not a pride thing, like, I got what I want. It’s more of a screw you, Donald Trump, MAGA people that were dragging me.”
Encouraging perseverance, Campbell advised, “As I said before, just believe in yourself. It’s really hard to do so when the whole world has told you, like, you’re wrong with a lot of things, but just stay true to yourself, and you can do anything you want. I know it sounds cliche, but you really can.”
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