常時英心:言葉の森から 1.0

約10年間,はてなダイアリーで英語表現の落穂拾いを行ってきました。現在はAmeba Blogに2.0を開設し,継続中です。こちらはしばらくアーカイブとして維持します。

lookalike

lookalikeも初級者用の単語ですが、見ての通りlook alikeからの逆生語です。一般に「有名人に似た人」を意味しますので、それほどネガティブな意味はないと考えていましたが、ここは「(有名なトレードマークの)類似品」という意味で、マイナスイメージですね。(UG)

Starbucks Coffee lookalike accused of trademark violation

CHIBA -- Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but when it comes to corporate logos, it's also against the law -- a fact that has landed the owner of the Girl's Star Bar in serious trouble for allegedly infringing on the Starbucks Coffee Co. trademark.

Prefectural police have accused the bar's operator Creative Consultants and one of the firm's executives of violating the Trademark Act over the bar's logo, which is identical to that of the U.S. coffee chain's except for the name and that the iconic young lady at the center of the graphic is holding beer steins. Even the name of the Togane, Chiba Prefecture establishment is a play on "Starbucks," casually called "sta-ba" in Japanese. "Star Bar" is pronounced "staa baa."

"As soon as I came up with the name Star Bar, I thought using the Starbucks logo was a good idea," the 32-year-old Creative Consultants executive was quoted as telling police.

The executive and his firm are specifically accused of doing business under the Starbucks Coffee Co. registered trademark without permission from late May 2012 to the middle of January this year.

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130308p2a00m0na007000c.html