Michael Hallatt has permanently closed his Vancouver outlet of Pirate Joe’s, rather than face another trademark lawsuit from California-based Trader Joe’s later this year. In the years following the lawsuit, Hallatt dropped the “P” from his store’s banner, becoming Irate Joe’s, as Trader Joe’s continued its legal efforts to shut him down. The circuit court ruled Pirate Joe’s and Hallatt’s conduct could harm Trader Joe’s reputation. He also said Pirate Joe’s wasn’t trying to mimic Trader Joe’s. A sandwich board outside the Pirate Joe’s location on Thursday said simply, “Goliath wins.”

Source: National Post June 08, 2017 20:03 UTC