Kraftwerk co-founder Ralf Hütter has filed a lawsuit against the makers of an energy supply unit for electronic devices.
Hütter is suing the Dresden-based company eZelleron for trademark infringement after the company raised over $1.5 million on Kickstarter for a portable power supply unit called ‘Kraftwerk’. The unit can be recharged in a matter of seconds to provide weeks of charge for iPhones, tablets and GoPro cameras, according to eZelleron.
Hütter, who owns a wide-reaching trademark registration on “Kraftwerk”, has taken exception to eZelleron using the name despite the phrase translating to “power station” in German.
“Defendant is taking advance orders for the KRAFTWERK charging device,” states the complaint filed in Delaware federal court. “Therefore, consumers are likely to assume that there is a connection, association, or relationship between the famous electronic Music band and a charger for portable musical-playing devices.”
Hütter is aiming to force online service providers and fundraising platforms to remove references to eZelleron’s Kraftwerk device. [via Billboard]