How Hasbro Could've Fought in the Automotive Technology Field for the Right to Use the Term AUTOBOT

Interestingly enough, it's common that trademark law, patent law, and copyright law often differentiate between industries. For example: you won't confuse Belle Tires with Belle from BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Hence there's typically no case to fight -- simply wouldn't hold any water....

But in the Case of Hasbro, Sometimes a Name Is SO Recognizable, That Even THAT Name Can Be Protected From Other Industries Using It

Like the term "autobot." We've heard it before -- sometimes during those Saturday morning cartoons when we were young. Now we're still hearing it in movie theaters thanks to Michael Bay, and there's no sign of the trend slowing down at all as there even will be a "Bumblebee" Transformers film spin-off coming soon after the latest robot-fighting edition THE LAST KNIGHT explodes into theaters.

Hasbro did flex their mechanical muscles, albeit never having to do anything much about it, against a particular company called Mavizon back in 2010. What makes this interesting is Mavizon is nothing more than an automotive tech company responsible for innovating interface technology in vehicles. They termed one particular product the "AutoBot," which maybe several years ago, Hasbro wouldn't have cared much.

Times change.... And without a doubt, Hasbro would've cared if it wasn't for Mavizon's intuition at the end of the year to change the name of the product to something unique, like Mavia. Something you'd never confuse with big fighting robots.

Keep That in Mind: Just Because Your Product or Service Isn't in the Industry as Another Holding the Rights to the Same Brand Name....

It doesn't mean you're automatically protected. When a brand gets that big, even Transformers-themed Huggies diapers would need permission and approval from Hasbro.