Target in Canadian court over trademark dispute

New York City -- Target Corp. was due in court in Canada on Monday in an attempt to win exclusive right to use its name in Canada, the Wall Street Journal reported.



Target is asking the court to impose a preliminary injunction against Canadian retailer Isaac Benitah and his company, Fairweather, which owns 15 stores across Canada called Target Apparel and has a logo similar to that of Target Corp, the report said.



Target Corp. and Benitah have been at odds for nearly 10 years now as to owns the rights to the Target name in Canada. The filing alleged Mr. Benitah's use of the Target name on his stores is "deliberately calculated to deceive and confuse the public in Canada,” according to the report.



Benitah's company has filed a counterclaim denying the allegations and asking for exclusive rights to the Target name. It also asked for $250 million damages from the chain.



Benitah owns several Canadian retail chains with a total of 300 stores. His Target-named stores feature the name in big block letters, with the word Apparel in smaller lettering below. One of his advertisements for new store openings incorporated a bull's-eye design.