Sort of.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0817052slipknot1.html

(obligatory opinion so this isn't just a "discuss" post)

"Hi, we're slipknot, and though we've been around for years, we're riding BK's coattails to fame."

"Hi, we're Slipknot, and although we're supposed to be rebels against society, we're gonna kick the shit out of anyone that's interfering with us cashing in on our fans".

"Hi, we're Slipknot and damn I wish we'd taken them up on that offer. Even my mother knows who CoqRoq is, but she still thinks I should get a job."

Wow I thought that really was slipknot in the commercials. It looks exactly like them, it's such a rip off.

And the AUDACITY of Burger King to then file suit against the band after STEALING their identity.

Filthy motherf-ers. Never eating at Burger King again. (No loss, I hate their food, think its disgusting and never eat there anyway.)

You got that backwards, Slipknot sued Buger King and their ad agency.

That's not true Mark, read the complaint. Slipknot sent Burger King a cease and desist order, and I think a very reasonable one. Burger King responded by filing suit against them in court, demanding the judge bless their campaign and order Slipknot to pay Burger King all their legal fees and other costs.

Ya know what? They deserve each other.

Huh. I must not understand the legaleze. I thought the BK thing was just to get a judge to rule in the lawsuit SlipKnot already filed.

See, this is the real reason we need lawyers. :)

The first three pages are the cease and desist their lawyers sent to BK on August 4th and received by BK on the 8th, giving them a week to cease and desist. The rest of the documents are the lawsuit plantiff BK filed against defendents Slipknot & Co on the 12th. See the end of this document for how BK is seeking money from Slipknot, I guess for the free advertising they must be getting.

I just do not care for most heavy metal, but I'd seen Slipknot's albums at Tower Records and noticed them since they were kind of cool covers. When I saw the BK commercial, I thought it was them and they just sold out. A lot of their fans also thought they sold out as well. They probably didn't bother to get trademarks on their look and feel, so probably BK will win and drive them out of business, just like big corporations always manage to do as part of their standard process of reaming and killing the little guys.

On a related topic, this is really a pretty amazing marketing campaign for BK's stupid elongated mechanically separated chicken nugget:

http://www.coqroq.com/

Note the orgy at the end of the first video.

Very interesting... the remix application is for Mac only. I guess we know who the stoners are that munch up at BK.

Lets hope that BK reap the whirlwind.

I quite like the Ronald McDonald figure in the video I'd have thought that worth a cease and desist as well.

"See the end of this document for how BK is seeking money from Slipknot, I guess for the free advertising they must be getting."

I only read (skimmed) the first page of the second document and glanced at the rest. If I were Burger King, I'd do the same.

It's cases like this that make me wish Common Law had an option for *both* sides losing.

"They probably didn't bother to get trademarks on their look and feel, so probably BK will win and drive them out of business, just like big corporations always manage to do as part of their standard process of reaming and killing the little guys"

While I totally agree with the general principle, I'd like to point out that any band that doesn't take the time to get a good manager (to look after this kind of stuff) is taking a huge risk.

After seeing "Iron Maiden - The Early Years", I've really come to appreciate the importance of a good manager. I now understand why, back in 1986, they already had their own company, and had only distribution deals with EMI.

They claiming nobody else can wear masks! And some of you think they're the underdog and should win!

Suprised they don't claim infringment because the BK group uses guitars, like they do.

Stephen,

It's not that they are wearing masks, it's that they are wearing masks that look nearly identical. This should be pretty hard considering Slipknot's masks are all home made. BK chose Slipknot because they are probably the #1 metal band right now.

Oh, and trust me, Slipknot doesn't need BK to make them popular. They are the "biggest thing" right now, and I think that it is already too much for them. They are simple guys from Ohio.

They are from Iowa, not Ohio. Though we are routinely confused with both Ohio and Idaho. And it's corn, not potatos here. Damn you.

*potatoes.