The Law Suit

On the 18th of November 1999, the Paris-based company Transasia Corporation with co-complainants filed a law suit against the Leonardo Association in Paris, claiming trademark infringement and loss of business. Transasia in their filing claims to have recently trademarked the names Leonardo, Leonardo Finance, Leonardo Partners, Leonardo Experts and Leonardo Angels. They are claiming over a million dollars in damages based on their argument that a search engine search on the word »Leonardo« brings up not only their web sites but those of our Association Leonardo. They claim that this results in lost business. (We cannot refrain to make the editorial comment that the Leonardo offices often get fan mail addressed to Leonardo DiCaprio because in many search engines there is confusion between this actor's fan sites and those of the Leonardo arts organization as well as Leonardo da Vinci museums, not to mention numerous restaurants, beaches, hairdressers, etc.).

More:
http://mitpress.mit.edu/e-journals/Leonardo/isast/pres1220.html