Tiger Direct sues Apple over “Tiger”

Have you heard of Tiger Direct?  No, not Apple OS X Tiger, I’m talking about something different.  I’m referring to Tiger Direct, the computer hardware and software suppliers.  Confusing?  Well, they think it is and they filed suit for an injunction to block the launch of Apple’s OS X Tiger (probably a bit late) on the basis that Apple’s new OS has caused confusion and a drop in Tiger Direct’s Google page rank (or something like that).  According to Engadget –

So it looks it’s Apple’s turn to be on the receiving end of the lawsuit this time: Tiger Direct has slapped a lawsuit on the computer company over the name of its new operating system, Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. They’re asking for a court injunction to halt the rollout of Apple’s new OS, scheduled for tomorrow. Tiger Direct feels their trademarked name is being diluted by Apple “overwhelming the computer world with a sea of Tiger references?? (we’re overwhelmed — are you?). At the heart of the issue are internet search results: Tiger Direct has been bumped from its usual spot in the top three in both Google and Yahoo for a search on “Tiger.?? They claim Apple’s use of the name is “causing confusion, mistake and deception among the general purchasing public.??

(via Engadget)