Spectacle company sues tech giant over copyright

Eyebobs is taking on Snapchat’s parent company, Snap, over claims the technology and social media multinational has been using a registered logo with a striking resblance to its own.The tech giant first used the logo on vending machines and in a pop up store in New York to market its new Spectacles product in Septber last year.Both logos feature a distinctive eyeball against a yellow backdrop.News of Eyebobs’ legal action broke at the same time as Snap was preparing its initial public offering (IPO), which some analysts predict will be valued at US$20-25 billion (AU$26-32.5 b).{{quote-A:R-W:450-I:2-Q: Eyebobs now has to take the necessary steps to address the situation to defend and protect the company’s tradark in court. }}More than 158 million people worldwide use its mobile application every day.Eyebobs managent released a statent last week, which reiterated its claim and also indicated it had initially attpted to settle the dispute out of court.“Regrettably, Snap has been unwilling to take this infringent seriously,” Mr James Steffen, a partner at the law firm handling the suit, said.“Eyebobs now has to take the necessary steps to address the situation to defend and protect the company’s tradark in court.”At the same time, Eyebobs also filed a separate motion in the US District Court of Minnesota for a preliminary injunction for Spectacles to stop using the logo.Eyebobs first used a black and white version of their logo in 2001 and initially registered it as a tradark in 2008.It was followed by a revised version with a yellow backdrop in August 2016.Snap is yet to publicly respond to the claims.