Tootsie Roll has filed an infringement lawsuit against Rollashoe, which makes rollable ballet slippers called Footzyrolls.
Tootsie Roll, which made $521 million in sales last year, alleged that
the $2 million Footzyrolls brand will confuse and “deceive” consumers
into thinking that the shoes are associated with Tootsie Roll's
portfolio of products. Calling Rollashoe's actions “willful, malicious and fraudulent,” Tootsie
Roll also claims that Footzyrolls, which launched in 2009, dilute, or
tarnish, the value of the Tootsie Roll brand.
Rollashoe, based in Miami Beach, FL, however, disputed the allegations.
“This lawsuit is completely frivolous and has no merit,” Rollashoe
owners Sarah Caplan, 28, and Jenifer Caplan, 34, said in a statement.
The sisters, who filed for a trademark with the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office, debuted the Footzyrolls shoe line in
2009.
