Toyota sues porn Web site over use of Lexus name

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs...31040 (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070531/NEWS05/70531040)

http://www.lexus.com/lexus-share/images/nav/headerNav/hn_logo.gif


Toyota is worried that a pornography Web site run by two metro Detroiters is damaging the reputation of one of its luxury cars.

The Japanese automaker filed a federal lawsuit today, alleging Mario Mendoza and Katie Lynn Krzywdzinski broke trademark laws by using “Lexus” as the moniker of its porn star and the name of its Web site.

The suit alleges the site “uses the mark ‘Lexus’ in an unwholesome and unsavory context” and “is likely to tarnish and blur the distinctive qualities” of the car model.

The site’s star, Lexus Cash, claims to be an amateur who “started making home videos of my girlfriends fooling around.”

The hometowns and other information about Mendoza and Krzywdzinski weren't available in the lawsuit.

Check back for more information as it becomes available.

ummm...she isn't the first porn star with the name Lexus. There's also a Lexus Locklear, who got sued by Heather Locklear.

My name is the same as your name and I'm famous so therefore more important.

My name is the same as your name and I'm famous so therefore more important.

I think the issue here is if Lexus Cash picked that name as opposed to being given that name. You can argue that she chose the name because of the auto manufacturer. I would like to see how many people named "Lexus" or "Mercedes" there were before the manufacturer got big. By name I mean first name. It is very possible to have a Mercedes Surname since that is what it was in the beginning.

Some people also do trade on their name. Can you imagine if you started seeing headlines of George W. Bush photographed raping goats? I am afraid that with the attention span of today's society no one would bother reading the rest of the article and just take it for face value thinking that our current president is a goat raper.

She should just misspell it such as Lexas

She should just misspell it such as Lexas

or lexass

Ya I thought about the extra s decide you would get the drift lol

or lexass

haha... clever




wow... you better watch out... you could get sued for your nasioc name.

Ya I thought about the extra s decide you would get the drift lol
i think he was going more for lexASS :p

Lexus Locklear Baby

If Lexus gets any money from this, I wonder if Mercedes, Porsche, or Lotus are going to try and cash in :p

I dont think that they want money as much as they want her to change her name to something else.

If Lexus gets any money from this, I wonder if Mercedes, Porsche, or Lotus are going to try and cash in :p

Haha, I was thinking the same thing. Damn porn stars have no creativity these days. :lol:

wow... you better watch out... you could get sued for your nasioc name.

I AM LEXUS

Misspelling isn't going to help. There was a MLM company that got sued by toyota a couple years ago and had to change their name. They spelled it "Lexxus".

i thought mercede is also a common name in porn...

I think the issue here is if Lexus Cash picked that name as opposed to being given that name. You can argue that she chose the name because of the auto manufacturer. I would like to see how many people named "Lexus" or "Mercedes" there were before the manufacturer got big. By name I mean first name. It is very possible to have a Mercedes Surname since that is what it was in the beginning.
I don't think that has anything to do with it actually. What about Mike Rowe? He set up a software site named MikeRoweSoft.com (or something like that) and was sued by Microsoft. In cases like these, I think most companies would be better served if they didn't bother going after these sites - they are just giving them more publicity... unfortunately, that is not how our legal system works though. If they don't go after this case of supposed infringement, they would be setting a precedent and open the doors to have more people 'borrow' their company name. I am not saying that that is right, just simply that is how the courts might look at it.

Some people also do trade on their name. Can you imagine if you started seeing headlines of George W. Bush photographed raping goats? I am afraid that with the attention span of today's society no one would bother reading the rest of the article and just take it for face value thinking that our current president is a goat raper.
We can only dream that that is all he has been doing.

The band blink-182 was originally named something like...just blink and they got sued by a band in ireland with the same name, so they changed before they got famous. Funny...never heard of that other band before or ever again.

Same thing...people know what lexus is and they know what porn is and I doubt they will confuse the two.

people know what lexus is and they know what porn is and I doubt they will confuse the two.
it's pretty clear that the pornstar is trying to give herself a classy image by associating herself with the car, even if she's not selling cars herself.

I remember lexus locklear, i didn't know another porn star used that name too

http://images.dailyflesh.com/vivid/lexus.jpg

It's funny that Lexus is complaining now, because they made the opposite argument when they were sued by Lexis/Nexis years ago.

Ed

I think the issue here is if Lexus Cash picked that name as opposed to being given that name. You can argue that she chose the name because of the auto manufacturer. I would like to see how many people named "Lexus" or "Mercedes" there were before the manufacturer got big. By name I mean first name.

You do know that Mercedes is a common Spanish name? It was also the founder of Mercede's daughters name. So yea, lots of people are named Mercedes unrelated to the car.

or lexass

or leXXXus

Good thing they sued! For a second there I was confused and thought I was downloading a car instead of IDP.

Why is this a bad thing? Are there porn stars named Infiniti or Acura? I think having a porn star named after your auto brand is the seal of prestige.

Why is this a bad thing?
Because we live in a land of uptight prudes. Remember anything and everything dealing with sex - except for procreation - is bad.
Won't someone please think of the children!

You do know that Mercedes is a common Spanish name? It was also the founder of Mercede's daughters name. So yea, lots of people are named Mercedes unrelated to the car.


I did not know that.. but I've seen it used a lot in porn star names.

Why is this a bad thing? Are there porn stars named Infiniti or Acura? I think having a porn star named after your auto brand is the seal of prestige.

Acura??? makes me think of Akira... not sexy at all :(

Infiniti.. on the other hand...many possibilities;)

so basically, the only reason anyone knows this no-name porn star even exists now is BECAUSE of toyota. smooth move.

I think the issue here is if Lexus Cash picked that name as opposed to being given that name. You can argue that she chose the name because of the auto manufacturer. I would like to see how many people named "Lexus" or "Mercedes" there were before the manufacturer got big.Baby name websites are good for this.

Mercedes (as already pointed out) was named after a person with a semi-common first name to begin with.

Mercedes is a very popular female first name and a very popular surname (source: 1990 U.S. Census).
~ http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search.php?g=0&t=1&s=mercedes
There are no results for boys named Mercedes.


Lexus is more interesting. The car company was launched in 1989.

Lexus is a very rare female first name and a very rare surname (source: 1990 U.S. Census).

~ http://www.thinkbabynames.com/babyname.php?g=0&n=Lexus&a=1Be sure to check out the graph on that page. Lexus, Lexis, Alexus, Lexie & Lexi all virtually appear on the scene on or after 1992.

If you're going to name your kid any derivative of Lexus, you should probably go with Alexis, which is the name of a successful BC Greek poet who was rumored to live to 106 years of age. Of course.. it's a boy's name, and again, boys are rarely the receivers of such a name these days.:rolleyes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexis

[quote]Good thing they sued! For a second there I was confused and thought I was downloading a car instead of IDP.
:lol:

I'm surprised no one has considered the name Subaru Outback within this context. Talk about double-meaning. :lol: (no offense, Subaru). :cool:

I'm surprised no one has considered the name Subaru Outback within this context. Talk about double-meaning. :lol: (no offense, Subaru). :cool:

haha, I never thought of that

if she's jewish it could be loxass?

We used Alexia for my daughter. Can't be too bad considering there are princesses with the name (Netherlands and Greece/Denmark).