Friday, October 09, 2009
Labels not kosher at Luke Oil
Contrary to its logo, Luke Oil Co. is not kosher, according to a lawsuit filed by a group of Orthodox Jews.
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Hammond after the regional gas station company failed to remove the trademark from its logo indicating food is kosher, David Butler, the group's lawyer, said.
Pictures included in the lawsuit show the trademark, a U in a circle, appearing next to the word "Luke" in various parts of the Luke convenience stores, including above a wall of food and on a cup for fountain drinks.
Some Jews and others with similar dietary concerns rely on the trademark to determine what food is kosher, meaning properly prepared according to Jewish dietary law, according to the lawsuit.
The symbol has also been trademarked, which means it can't be used without permission from the orthodox group.
Butler said a customer noticed the use of the trademark and reported it to the group in August.
Letters were sent to Luke, and although officials responded, they have yet to remove the trademark, he said.
It's important for the group to keep control of the trademark so that people who use it to make sure they don't break with Jewish law don't eat something that actually isn't kosher, he said.
"It's clearly not (kosher) here, and I don't know how or why Luke Oil decided to start using the patented mark in its new branding activity," Butler said.
Todd Collins, vice president of Luke Oil, said the company was working with the orthodox group and was close to resolving the issue.
"We've reached an agreement, and we're working toward straightening everything out with them," Collins said.
However, Butler said as far as he knows, the issue has not been resolved nor is in the process of being resolved.
http://www.post-trib.com/news/1814890,lukeoil1009.article
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Hammond after the regional gas station company failed to remove the trademark from its logo indicating food is kosher, David Butler, the group's lawyer, said.
Pictures included in the lawsuit show the trademark, a U in a circle, appearing next to the word "Luke" in various parts of the Luke convenience stores, including above a wall of food and on a cup for fountain drinks.
Some Jews and others with similar dietary concerns rely on the trademark to determine what food is kosher, meaning properly prepared according to Jewish dietary law, according to the lawsuit.
The symbol has also been trademarked, which means it can't be used without permission from the orthodox group.
Butler said a customer noticed the use of the trademark and reported it to the group in August.
Letters were sent to Luke, and although officials responded, they have yet to remove the trademark, he said.
It's important for the group to keep control of the trademark so that people who use it to make sure they don't break with Jewish law don't eat something that actually isn't kosher, he said.
"It's clearly not (kosher) here, and I don't know how or why Luke Oil decided to start using the patented mark in its new branding activity," Butler said.
Todd Collins, vice president of Luke Oil, said the company was working with the orthodox group and was close to resolving the issue.
"We've reached an agreement, and we're working toward straightening everything out with them," Collins said.
However, Butler said as far as he knows, the issue has not been resolved nor is in the process of being resolved.
http://www.post-trib.com/news/1814890,lukeoil1009.article
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