Cereal Abusers

Did you like Hall and Oates when they were popular years ago?

I sort of did.  Songs like "Rich Girl" and "Sara Smile" were sort of catchy.  The duo from Philadelphia didn't exactly bring the world to a standstill, and it's been a turtle's age since they had a hit record.  Still, I'm sure they tour the state fair and summer festival circuit in the warmer months, and take home a decent dollar for their time and trouble.

So you would think they could always use a mention now and then to keep their names in front of the public, but instead, they are making sure their names appear more on court dockets than anywhere else.

They recently found that a Brooklyn granola company is selling a brand of granola called "Haulin' Oats," so Daryl Hall (real name: Daryl Hohl) and John William Oates have filed suit in federal court to make the Early Bird Foods company stop selling the product, charging it violates their trademark.

The people over at Early Bird seem to have more of a sense of humor...they'll give you 25% off online if you order using the coupon code "SayItIsntSo." That's the title of a Hall and Oates hit song, you understand.

Last year, H&O kept their lawyers busy chasing after an oatmeal company in Kentucky and California that was selling their porridge under the name "Haulin' Oates." They swung a deal with that firm, and so oatmeal gobblers in five states can get the goods.

I'm sure that if these granola people offered to duke Daryl and John in on the take, something could be worked out.  And I'm also sure that a professional trademark is a valuable thing, to be guarded zealously against all encroachment.  I was tempted to say that ripping off the Hall & Oates name was a Cheap Trick, but I didn't want to get sued by them!