Target sues Target and gets countersued by Target

Mr. T in DC

There can be only one Target. In Canada.

In a legal act of recursive solipsism unparalleled since Kramer vs. Kramer, our hometown corporate behemoth is suing a Canadian company of the same name over which company gets to call itself Target in Canada.

The northerly operation, called Target Apparel, is owned by Canadian retailer Fairweather Ltd, and currently includes 15 clothing stores across the nation.

The stores' facades feature the first word prominently, and the second word much smaller. Even the logo is similar -- a red circle with a Maple leaf inside.

That's a problem for good old United States Target, which has already pledged $1.8 billion to take over 220 locations in Canada, its first expansion outside the U.S.

Target Corp says Target Apparel is just trying to confuse Canadian customers, who know the real Target is the one from the United States. They want the Canadian court to declare U.S. Target the one and only Target, and force Target Apparel to stop being Target.

Candadian Target isn't taking this lying down -- they're counter-suing, accusing U.S. Target of infringing on their Trademark and demanding $250 million in damages. Also they want to be be declared the one and only Target of Canada.

Which Target will reign supreme? Stay tuned!

Previous Target coverage:

• Target's teabag-loving CEO lands company in hot water
• Human Rights Campaign calls out Target, Best Buy in full-page ad
• Target apologizes for funding Tom Emmer ad
• Target's gay problem keeps getting worse
• Human Rights Campaign counters Target's Emmer donation
• Target isn't sponsoring this weeks LGBT equality conference. Why not?
• Target changes political donation policy
• Lady Gaga dumps Target over anti-gay donations
• Target sues gay rights group
• Target's anti-gay-rights lawsuit rejected by judge