Globe’s been busy pimping their Tonino Lamborghini 4G Tattoo stick for the past few months, but it appears they did some shortcuts along the way as Tonino Lamborghini is crying foul and has come out with a press release claiming they never gave Globe permission to use their brand or logo for any such product.
Trademark infringement is what the Italian company is claiming, and depending on what other steps they plan to take as a result of this, Globe might just have bought their way into a costly legal battle with Tonino Lamborghini just because they opted to go with the flashy branding for their 4G broadband stick.
We reached out to Globe and they told us that they had made sure they had all permissions in place when they launched the Tonino Lamborghini 4G Tattoo stick. Tonino Lamborghini’s Asia reps were even there at the launch. Maybe this is all a misunderstanding between the Asian representatives and the mother company in Italy, and Globe just had the bad luck to be caught in between the two parties. In any case, Globe said that they had contacted Tonino Lamborghini’s Italian offices directly and will issue an official statement on this matter soon.
Here’s a copy of the Tonino Lamborghini’s complete press release regarding the matter posted last August 23:
4G Tatto Tonino Lamborghini Broadband Stick Is a Fake!
BOLOGNA, ITALY–(Marketwire – Aug. 23, 2011) – Tonino Lamborghini s.r.l., an Italy-based company which is the sole lawful owner worldwide of the trademark “Tonino Lamborghini” hereunder
http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/tonino_lamborghini_logo.jpg
wishes to inform its customers that unauthorized people are currently trading online and through Globe stores a “4G Tatto Tonino Lamborghini” broadband stick which is a counterfeited product.
Tonino Lamborghini s.r.l. has never manufactured or authorized anyone to manufacture such a product which constitutes therefore a serious trademark infringement.
Moreover the advertising campaign “Feed your need for speed” featuring Marlon Stockinger, first Filipino to win a formula race in Europe, is deceitful and unlawful since it leads to a serious likelihood of confusion between two different and separate brands and businesses that is to say “Tonino Lamborghini” and “Automobili Lamborghini”.
Tonino Lamborghini s.r.l. shall take any legal action to protect the brand.
Yours faithfully,
Dott. Gian Luca Filippi
Tonino Lamborghini s.r.l.
CEO
UPDATE: You can read Globe’s official response to this controversy here.
