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File: 66 KB, 635x475, trader-joes-pirate-joes-lawsuit.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4728195 No.4728195 [Reply] [Original]

BY BETH STEBNER
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
AUGUST 17, 2013

Trader Joe’s ‘pirate’ buys goods in Washington state then sells
them in Vancouver for a profit

Canadian entrepreneur Mike Hallatt is in hot water for buying
massive amounts of Trader Joe's products in Washington state,
crossing the border, and selling the booty at a slight profit.

He’s pirating their goods, and they’re trying to make him walk
the plank.

A Canadian entrepreneur is in hot water for buying massive
amounts of Trader Joe's products in Washington state, crossing
the border, and selling the booty at a slight profit.

Mike Hallatt — who calls his vagabond Vancouver store "Pirate
Joe's" — claims he's done nothing wrong, and is helping bring
Trader Joe's to the Commonwealth.

"I'm their best customer," he told the San Francisco Chronicle,
adding that he's purchased more than $350,000 worth of Joe-O's,
mango salsa, and other goodies.

But Trader Joe's is suing the 53-year-old Canadian plunderer,
saying Hallatt has harmed their business and infringed on their
copyright, and is trying to shutter his Vancouver storefront.

>> No.4728197

In response, the cheeky Hallatt removed the "P" from his sign,
so his store is now called Irate Joe's.

He told Vancouver paper The Province that he feels safe within
the confines of the law.

"My right to resell their product is stronger than their right
to protect their brand," he said, noting that he's actually
helping the chain render higher profits.

A self-professed lover of all things Trader Joe's, Hallat said
it's so good that "I will eat dog food from them."

He says that the genius of his business model is saving most
Canadians the hassle of driving long distances to reach the
Washington stores, as well as saving them time and gas.

In the interim, Trader Joe’s has posted Hallatt’s photograph at
nearly every Washington location in attempts to keep him out.
The grocery chain did not immediately respond to the Daily News’
request for comment.

The store is famous for its low prices, organic goods, and fair
wages to workers, with nearly 400 stores across the U.S.

>> No.4728210

I remember when I worked at Target this Indian dude came in and bought like 15 pre-pay cell phones. He then told me the transaction would be tax free, and produced a tax-free number, with which I was familiar. The register then asked me for the reason, with a few pre-loaded options, and this guy knew his shit. Right when it came up he said "resale" and, lo and behold, Target has "resale" as a reason for a tax-free transaction. So the dude walks off with a whole bunch of cell phones, presumably to sell at his convenience store. Later I asked my manager about it who said "Yeah, that dude comes in all the time. He sells them at his Indian convenience store."

IT was kind of odd, but I guess Target didn't care since they were making the same amount of money they would have made if 15 different people came in and bought those phones. I don't now why Trader Joe's is so buttmad about this, especially since he's helping build their brand.

>> No.4728415

>>4728195
i find it annoying as hell that vancouver doesn't have a trader joes. I know alot of people on here probably hate trader joes, but it beats the prices at Whole Foods (the only market aside from Safeway here).

I dont have a prob with what this guy did

>> No.4728414

>>4728210
> I don't now why Trader Joe's is so buttmad about this, especially since he's helping build their brand.

They'll probably claim that their business interests could be hurt if his customers get pissed at him
or somebody get sick from spoiled Trader Joe's food he's selling.

>> No.4728428

>>4728195
>selling the booty

>> No.4728431

>buying from overpriced hipster trader joes

>> No.4728440

>>4728431
Trader Joe's is actually one of the cheaper places to shop for produce, at least where I live in WA.

>> No.4728455

>>4728195
This canadian now must secure a storefront in downtown toronto to do the same scheme

>> No.4728494

>>4728455
I'm sorry but every time I scroll past this I see "the Canadian must form stormfront". I think I spend too much time on four Chan.

>> No.4728497

>>4728195
All this has to do with is protecting a brand. If you don't aggressively pursue those who sell a similar product under a similar name you can easily divest value from your brand in the U.S.

>>Even if Trader Joes doesn't give a fuck they need to pursue this canuck to protect their intellectual property.

>> No.4728506

Trader Joe's only sells their brand of items. I'm sure that guy in >>4728210 couldn't go to Target and buy Market Pantry items for resale.

>> No.4728562

A fourteen page cease and disist order from TJ's put a stop to my Craigslist shopping venture.

I charged face value and a twenty dollar delivery fee for the three hour drive. A Lawyer told me they had no case. But just to pay him to lift a finger was 5 grand. Which then would expose me to the IRS. Bye bye part time cash job. About three grand a month.

In short. Fuck them. Haven't ever been back.

>> No.4729920

>>4728197
>Hallat said it's so good that "I will eat dog food from them."

Luckily for him most of Joe's food is just re-purposed dog food.

>> No.4730345

>>4728506
I lived in a small town in Texas once where the local store owner would make semi-weekly trips to the Wal-Mart 20 miles away and stock up on goods (Great Value brand included) to stock their store with. I don't know if Wal-Mart didn't know what they were doing or didn't care, though.

>> No.4730364
File: 226 KB, 2197x1463, 1359128290488.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4730364

>>4728195

>buying massive amounts of Trader Joe's products in Washington state
>selling them in vancouver for a profit
>not buying them in portland and avoiding the sales tax

What an amateur.

>> No.4730377

>>4728562
This one seems easy, just say "the store at this address." Also, call your fee a mileage and handling fee. Boom, you're a private citizen helping the community.

Regardless, they have no
case. The c & d is a cheap scare tactic.

>> No.4730472

>>4730364
And waste all your profit on gas? I don't think so.

>> No.4730528

>>4728197
>famous for its low prices
Then why are the ones in my city so expensive?

>> No.4730558

This isn't piracy. Pirates steal.
Why did whoever this newspaper want to deceive people?

>> No.4730587

>>4730558
do you really need to ask that?

You probably wacth the news on tv

fuckin sheep

>> No.4730625

you can find lots of resold trader joe's goods on amazon

>> No.4730689

>>4728497
I'm missing the damage to the "brand" here

>> No.4730692

>>4730587
Now buying something qualifies as piracy?

>> No.4730773

>>4730692
its called sensationalism whore

>> No.4730803
File: 638 KB, 2048x1536, 0225031304c.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4730803

those joe's o's weren't anything special and I'd rather have some chefboyardee spaghetti and meatballs

>> No.4730819

>>4730472

>And waste all your profit on gas?

If you're buying enough shit to sell up North you should be able to do much better driving down to Oregon first and avoiding the sales tax.

If you aren't making more money than you would driving to Portland (or the closest place in OR) and not paying sales tax, but paying the extra gas money, this entire scheme is completely worthless.

Figure out how/where to find truffles; that will probably make you a shit ton more.

>> No.4730821

>>4728506
The convenience store here sells Wal Mart brand noodles and President's Choice Chips.

>> No.4730822

Wonder how much he can make?

I mean gas and time to haul all that just so canucks can get trader joes for a higher price? I mean if it's too high, don't the canucks have their own premium foods for what they pay for inflated TJ?

>> No.4730867

couldn't this guy just open a trader joe's and make more money since he already had people looking for the product?

>> No.4731096

>>4730377
The hired a private dick to purchase from me. Had my licsence plate number and home address. They served me at home. Even though only relatives and known customers came to my house.
I figure I could keep doing it and get sued. Which would require me to pay a lawyer or just say fuck it.

>> No.4731138

How is this guy getting across the border? Don't customs agents search his car and see the mountains of food and realize what's going on? It'd kind of hard to justify hundreds of dollars worth of food as just "routine shopping".

>> No.4731150

>low prices, organic goods, and fair wages to workers

So their brand is that they are hippies, but in reality they are actually greedy capitalist assholes. Guess he did ruin their brand.

>> No.4731170

>>4731138
Oh man, better arrest this guy. Don't want any of this PACKAGED FOOD getting into our country!

>> No.4731190

>>4731170
He could be hiding drugs in those packages.

>> No.4731245

Why is Trader Joe mad that he was out capitalisimed by a Canuck? If he buys the fucking food he owns it. It isn't like someone in Vancouver thinks this guy is running a Trader Joe's because THERE ARENT FUCKING ANY THERE SO THEY HAVE TO DRIVE TO FREEDOMTOWN TO GET IT.

>> No.4731280

>>4731245
>If he buys the fucking food he owns it.

No, he bought a license to use the food himself. Sharing it or re-selling it without the expressed written permission of Trader Joe's® is breaching the agreement.

>> No.4731288

>>4731280
Do they have a joint ownership of his poop as well?

>> No.4731291

>>4728431
>thinking trader Joes is for hipsters

Don't you have school tomorrow?

>> No.4731309
File: 31 KB, 600x700, nestle.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4731309

>>4731280

Don't laugh, that may soon be the case...

www.naturalnews.com/040026_Nestle_water_supply_domination.html

Nestle CEO seeks to control the world's water supply

"(NaturalNews) Gun control may be a hot topic, but what about water control?
Recent comments from Nestle CEO Peter Brabeck imply that the world's water
will soon come under the control of corporations like his. Brabeck makes the
astonishing claim that water is not a human right, but should be managed by
business people and governing bodies. He wants water controlled, privatized,
and delegated in a way that sustains the planet."

>> No.4731320

>>4731309

Bechtel already tried that in Bolivia. They bought out some government officials and made it illegal to use rainwater that fell on your property.

There were massive riots, Bechtel was thrown out, and they elected an ultra leftist president who joined an anti-American alliance of other nations.

Good job, Bechtel! This anti corporate propaganda doesn't write itself.

>> No.4731319

Did they ever consider that if this random guy selling their product does it as a job, that maybe it would be a good idea to open one up in his area? For god sakes, he's driving across the border just so he can smuggle trader Joe's brand foods back.

I've been eating their coconut cookies, Shit was SO cash.

>> No.4731334

>>4731309

Sounds legit. Who needs water to live anyway?

Seriously, this guy should be thrown in jail for even attempting this kind of bullshit. It's probably for the best.

>> No.4731338
File: 20 KB, 460x276, 345.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4731338

>>4731309
Sadly, all they'd need to do in America is say
>You need to pay for rainwater, or there will be terrorists! ..and your children are in danger! rainwater caused 9/11!!
..and suddenly you have millions of people paying you for a natural resource.

>> No.4731375

>>4730558
He named his store Pirate Joe's, I distrust the media as much as the next tinfoil hatter, but the choice in headlines is pretty fucking obvious.

Also, I lul'd at Irate Joe's

>> No.4731385

>>4728415
Why would people hate TJ's? It's a great store. Good ass cheap black bean burritos too.

>> No.4731540

>>4731385
It's good for people who don't/can't cook. Their selection of proper, non-packaged foods is meager at best. They're a glorified Stop-n-Go with an affordable-chic motif.

>> No.4732063

>>4728210
>helping them build their brand
No, he's not -- he's deriving his own brand from theirs. It's called "trademark dilution" and they have a good reason to want to stop it, because if they don't, their own trademark rights are weakened.

>> No.4732082

>>4731280
Totally fucked up analysis, dude. You should sue your law school for whatever you paid them.

There are no "licenses" involved. Nominative use means he would be fine selling TJ's products as TJ's products. The problem came in when he decided to call himself "Pirate Joe's" and play cutesie.

There are also issues with Customs duties, labeling laws, and the like, but those are all the Canadian government's problem.

>>4730819
How dumb are you?

TJ's has a location in Bellingham, WA, which is a fifteen minute drive from the border. I-5 exit 255. Just to get to the Oregon border is therefore another 255 miles, or 500 miles round-trip. Even in an econobox that's $50 in gas, and if he's driving a van with real cargo capacity, more like $200 in gas. (At US gas prices -- in Canada, double those numbers.)

>> No.4732092

>>4732082
can WA residents just hop back and forth? That sounds fun.

>> No.4732108

>>4732082
On top of that fuel cost, it's >5h of that guy's life wasted driving the econobox. 10/10 post.

>> No.4732112

>trader joes throwing away nearly half a million in sales

if you have stock in these guys, bail

>> No.4732152

If I was Trader Joe's I would try to call him up and make him manager of a Vancouver branch seeing how he knows his shit. There's obviously a whole untapped market there if he could successfully resale shit at a higher price than a store in washington.

>> No.4732170

>>4731309
>naturalnews.com

didn't click

try finding a real source.