Lexus Sues Adult Site Owners - Toyota brought suit agaist LexusCash.com. Lexus, a division of Toyota, apparently has a problem with this adult web site and adult model using the name Lexus. Plaintiff seeks an injunction and attorneys fees, no monetary damages. The lawsuit alleges that LexusCash.com, and the couple who run the site, including the woman who goes by the name of ‘Lexus Cash,’ “use[] the mark ‘Lexus’ in an unwholesome and unsavory context” and therefore could damage the reputation of its cars and company.” I don’t have the time to parse the entire complaint, but there is no need. I have seen enough strippers named Porsche, Mercedes, and yes, even Lexus, to know that these car brands are popular monikers for those who get naked for a living. For a stage name, unconnected to the car business, if these girls have the cash for the battle, they should win.
This suit brought up another issue, what if her name actually had been Lexus instead of Katie Lynn. A quick search of the SSI popular name database garnered the following results for people named after expensive cars.
Porsche did not place in the top 1000 since 1992, but Mercedes and Lexus did.
Mercedes
| Year of birth | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 440 |
| 2005 | 385 |
| 2004 | 339 |
| 2003 | 333 |
| 2002 | 293 |
| 2001 | 284 |
| 2000 | 285 |
| 1999 | 263 |
| 1998 | 224 |
| 1997 | 241 |
| 1996 | 212 |
| 1995 | 191 |
| 1994 | 189 |
| 1993 | 171 |
| 1992 | 177 |
| Note: Rank 1 is the most popular, rank 2 is the next most popular, and so forth. Name data are from Social Security card applications for births that occurred in the United States. | |
Lexus
| Year of birth | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 969 |
| 2003 | 877 |
| 2002 | 768 |
| 2001 | 771 |
| 2000 | 671 |
| 1999 | 627 |
| 1998 | 519 |
| 1997 | 469 |
| 1996 | 449 |
| 1995 | 532 |
| 1994 | 592 |
| 1993 | 738 |
| 1992 | 985 |
| Note: Rank 1 is the most popular, rank 2 is the next most popular, and so forth. Data are not shown for some of the years you specified because the name Lexus was not in the top 1000 names for those years. Name data are from Social Security card applications for births that occurred in the United States. | |
On a lark I checked a couple other names that, based on my cultural knowledge, I thought might get a hit.
Armani
| Year of birth | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 698 |
| 2005 | 721 |
| 2004 | 728 |
| 2003 | 703 |
| 2002 | 773 |
| 2001 | 640 |
| 2000 | 650 |
| 1999 | 683 |
| 1998 | 658 |
| 1997 | 640 |
| 1996 | 738 |
| 1995 | 920 |
| 1994 | 980 |
| Note: Rank 1 is the most popular, rank 2 is the next most popular, and so forth. You did not specify the sex for the name Armani, so we used male data based on popularity. Data are not shown for some of the years you specified because the name Armani was not in the top 1000 names for those years. Name data are from Social Security card applications for births that occurred in the United States. | |
Chanel
| Year of birth | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 917 |
| 2005 | 918 |
| 2004 | 922 |
| 2003 | a |
| 2002 | a |
| 2001 | 930 |
| 2000 | 819 |
| 1999 | 795 |
| 1998 | 694 |
| 1997 | 601 |
| 1996 | 560 |
| 1995 | 618 |
| 1994 | 531 |
| 1993 | 421 |
| 1992 | 393 |
| a Not in top 1,000 names for indicated year of birth | |
| Note: Rank 1 is the most popular, rank 2 is the next most popular, and so forth. Name data are from Social Security card applications for births that occurred in the United States. | |
And finally, here is a nice story on the trend of people naming their kids after consumer goods.
Filed under: 2007 Trademark Cases, Trademark
