I know a lot of people point to the US as the land of ridiculous lawsuits, but the good people of France are trying to steal that crown. Renault recently introduced an electric car called the ZOE. There are a few people in France who just happen to be named Zoe Renault. The parents of two of these girls sued Renault to try to block them from using the name because it is a violation of privacy and a breach of human dignity. The judge shot down their lawsuit, but the families are planning on appealing.
My favourite quote from the article: "Industrialists, in order to humanise and market products, are turning names into brands," Koubbi said. "So, if you're lucky, you could end up as a pretty pot of flowers. If you're not, as a whip, a vibrating dildo or a toilet brush."
Another one: "He said one family had changed the name of their three-year-old child to Margot after Renault brought out a car bearing the same name as the little girl -- Clio."
Bob
. I also think that lawsuits which a lot of sane people would consider frivolous are just getting a lot more publicity these days as they're easy meat for underpaid journalists.
The cure for frivolous lawsuits.
