Town's Tussle Over Trademark Intensifies

Martha's neighbors like the name Katonah, want to keep it
By Jonas Oransky,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 5, 2007 12:02 PM CDT
Town's Tussle Over Trademark Intensifies
Martha Stewart poses in the Katonah model home at the unveiling of her new concept in homebuilding and design Hampton Oaks subdivision outside of Fairburn, Ga., on July 25, 2006. A group of Stewart's Westchester County neighbors has moved a step closer to opposing her efforts to trademark the name...   (Associated Press)

Katonah, NY, doesn't appear to need pro bono legal assistance. The average home price tops $900,000, and the leafy New York suburb is so desirable that Martha Stewart calls it home. That's where the trouble started: Stewart wants to trademark the town’s name for a home-decor line, and Katonah says that's not a good thing. Business Week takes a look.

Villagers object not to the use of the name but to the trademarking, which could limit future use by locals. The Katonah Village Improvement Society's "Nobody Owns Katonah" campaign has drawn support from people around the country, including descendants of Chief Katonah, the village’s Native American namesake, and the law firm that volunteered to press the village's case. (More Martha Stewart stories.)

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