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Best Buy Issues Cease & Desist Over Newegg.com's Use Of The Word "Geek" By Chris Morran on June 9, 2011 3:40 PM The folks at Best Buy are none too happy with electronics e-tailer Newegg.com. The boys in blue believe that their online competitor stepped over a trademarked line by using the word "geek" and by making fun of inept Best Buy staffers in a TV ad. Newegg just posted the letter in its entirety over on its Facebook page, but here are the main points: Newegg recently launched a marketing campaign titled "Geek on," featuring those very words in promotions and even selling tee shirts with the logo. Best Buy's Geek Squad logo is orange, black and white. Newegg's "Geek on" logo is in black and orange, though a very different font is used. However, Best Buy also takes issue with Newegg's turning the "O" in "on into a power button, as the retailer has a Geek Squad Black Tie Protection logo that features a power button. Best Buy's second issue involves a Newegg TV ad (see it for yourself below) that features a blue-shirted electronics store worker who obviously knows nothing about his job. From the C&D letter: “ The fake Best Buy employee is depicted as being slovenly and uninformed about computer products, in contrast to your employees who are portrayed as "experts." Your misuse of our valuable trademarks and your negative portrayal of our employees violate our trademark rights and misleads consumers about our services, in violation of federal and state law. While we welcome fair competition, we cannot tolerate unfair competition that disparages our employees, confuses customers and damages our valuable trademarks and the goodwill associated with those marks. We take great pride in our employees and the high quality of customer service they offer and find your company's focus on our employees in this advertising campaign to be particularly offensive. ” What do you think? Did Newegg cross a line or is Best Buy just being overly sensitive?

Looked like a great commercial to me. I do happen to like newegg. I hope best buy doesn't win this if this is a lawsuit. If they dont like their image, they should change it. Last time I went to a best buy I was shocked at how crappy they were. No selection, and workers like the ones in the video. They used to be my favorite electronics store, but I think the lack of competition has made them pretty crappy.

If they didn't try to sue, someone will sue them for not trying.. that's how america works... >_>

This is sort of funny. BestBuy the power symbol looks like that, just because you used the symbol with a tie on your logo doesn't mean you own the symbol. Whats next suing Nintendo and Microsoft for using the power symbol on their consoles? As for the slogan the word geek is free for everyone to use and their slogan wasn't a direct infringment.

As for the commercial, I agree the commercial was blatently obvious that they were targeting Best Buy. But since when is it a crime to target a competitors company in your ads? I see Coke and Pepsi commercials always making fun of each other. This reminds me of the case "Cry me a river" by Justin Timberlake, he had just broken up with Britney Spears and hired a look alike to be in his video, Britney was all pissed off because everyone knew that Justin Timberlake was talking about her in the video. But the fact is Justin didn't name her and he had every right to hire a blonde girl to act the part.

In this case NewEgg obviously took aim at BestBuy. However the ad never said anything about Best Buy. Their was no copy right infringment. All they did was use the blue colour Best Buy uniforms are in and use a similiar commercial format.

Best Buy has to lighten up. They can't sue everyone they compete against. New Egg never directly violated any copy right laws to my knowledge and while they obviously targetted Best Buy they didn't do so in an un-civilized manor!