Ferrari will "use the full name of its 'Ferrari F150th Italia' Formula One car from now on" after Ford sued the automaker over the use of "F150," according to Seetharaman & Meadows of REUTERS. Ford yesterday filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court in Detroit claiming Ferrari's F150 logo "was too similar to Ford's F-150 pickup truck." Ford is asking for Ferrari to be barred "from using the name and is also seeking unspecified damages, including damages of $100,000 under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act." Ferrari said it was "very difficult to understand Ford's viewpoint," as its car is not commercially available. However, the automaker said it would use the full version of the name "to further prove it is acting in good faith" (REUTERS, 2/10). In Detroit, Robert Snell reports the lawsuit also cites the creation of www.ferrarif150.com. Ford has used the F-150 name “on its flagship, full-size pickup trucks since the 1975 model year.” Snell notes the lawsuit comes days after Ferrari announced it was using the "F150" name for its F1 team as a "nod to the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy” (DETROIT NEWS, 2/10). Ford in the lawsuit argues that the "similarity of the logos was intentional because Ferrari is trying to gain market share in the U.S. and predicts that Ferrari's use of the name could confuse consumers as it markets the car and its racing activities” (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 2/10).
