Walgreens Claims Wegmans Infringed on Logo

Walgreens has filed suit against Wegmans Food Markets, alleging that the supermarket chain’s logo is too reminiscent of its own, according to published reports.

In the trademark infringement complaint, filed Oct. 27 at U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreen Co. said that consumers could mistakenly believe that the companies are connected because of the logos’ similarity. Walgreens’ "flying W" is entitled to trademark protection, the drug store chain believes, because it has been in use since 1951.

Walgreens further asked the court to order an accounting of Wegmans’ profits to determine the profits the grocery operator derived from the use of the contested logo. Due to the "flagrant and deliberate nature" of the alleged trademark infringement, Walgreens asked that damages be tripled.

Wegmans has countered that the scripted “W” it rolled out two years ago is actually based on logos used by the grocer in the 1930s. Additionally, company spokeswoman Jeanne Colleluori told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle that Wegmans didn't think there was any chance consumers would assume a connection with Waldgreens.