Amazon Bookstore Cooperative has agreed to drop its trademark suit against Amazon.com after coming to an unusual arrangement with the Seattle e-retailer.
Under the agreement, Amazon Bookstore Cooperative will assign the rights to the Amazon name to Amazon.com. The Minnesota independent will then license the Amazon name from Amazon.com, allowing both companies to keep their current names. The companies declined to reveal how much, if any, money will be exchanged.
In addition, the companies will "work on certain steps" to prevent confusion among the bookbuying public. One of those steps is the requirement that Amazon Bookstore always refer to itself as Amazon Bookstore Cooperative. The two will also work on a system for transferring mistaken calls.
The case had been marred by a line of questioning from Amazon.com lawyers about the sexual orientation of Amazon Bookstore employees.
Hungry Mind Sells Name
In another instance of a name conflict involving a Minnesota independent, the venerable Hungry Mind Bookstore in St. Paul has sold its name to the newly christened cyber-university Hungry Minds (www.hungryminds.com) for an undisclosed sum. The sale, which will also affect the name of the Hungry Mind Review and Hungry Mind Press, will help finance a second bookstore in Minneapolis's Literary Arts Center.
The new name of the two bookstores, review and press is still up in the air. A suggestion box has been hung in the store, and the store has brought in a p.r. firm to help with a new logo.
