Cost Plus demands Vegas drop World Market name

Las Vegas— The parent company of Oakland, Calif.-based Top 100 retailer Cost Plus World Market has filed a suit demanding that the World Market Center here stop using the term "World Market" in its name.

The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Nevada earlier this year by

It also claims that the use of World Market name has hurt Cost Plus World Market's business and reputation by associating its name with products it doesn't necessarily endorse.

Cost Plus said in the suit that it operates 286 stores in 35 states under the World Market and Cost Plus World Market names. It said it first received trademark status for use of the World Market name on its stores in 1993.

The suit claims the company has spent some $250 million to promote the World Market name for its retail goods and services in the past two years alone.

Cost Plus officials said they became aware in May 2006 that the Las Vegas home furnishings showroom complex was using the name World Market Center. The facility is open to the trade during furniture markets held twice a year, and portions of it have been open to the public at other times, the suit said.

It goes on to state that some furniture said to be sourced from the World Market Center has shown up in Las Vegas-area retail showrooms bearing the World Market name. The products, the suit claims, are similar in nature to goods sold by Cost Plus World Market and are sold in the same geographic area to similar customers.

The World Market Center, meanwhile, has filed its own cease-and-desist complaint against one of those retailers, Dreamscape Inc. In that complaint, the WMC said Dreamscape told customers it planned to change its name to World Market Liquidators to promote the idea that it would sell samples from WMC showrooms.

The World Market Center's complaint also said that Dreamscape infringed on the World Market Center name by advertising itself in local publications as "World Market Liquidator." The company now calls itself "Furniture Market."

In its response to the Cost Plus suit, World Market Center Venture LLC denies doing anything to knowingly infringe on the World Market retail name or to hurt the store chain's business.

It also denies knowledge of other retailers in the Las Vegas area using the World Market name to sell products they buy from the World Market Center.

The WMC's response also said the company believes it can continue to use the name without infringing on any prior trademark owner.

In addition to seeking the name change, Cost Plus Management also wants monetary damages in excess of $10,000, plus attorney's fees. It also seeks any profits the World Market Center gained by use of the World Market name and triple damages plus interest on the actual damages awarded.

World Market Center officials declined to comment. Attorneys representing Cost Plus were not available.