Watch company Multi Time Machine has filed a complaint against popular retailer Amazon. The watch maker has said Amazon's suggested searches may lead consumers to buy from its competitors. The online retail store will face a trial on trademark allegations.
Multi Time Machine has first filed the complaint four years ago, in 2011. The watch company has claimed that it does not sell its line of products in Amazon. The retailer does not indicate that it does not have MTM watches. It instead suggests watch models similar to MTM watches, for consumers to buy.
So in the event that a person may be looking for a Multi Time Machine model, Amazon will show results of similar watches instead. This, MTM claims, is what misleads the consumers.
"We think a jury could find that Amazon has created a likelihood of confusion," said the court decision, according to Reuters. Previously, the trademark issues were not brought to trial due to a disagreement of a Federal Judge. The ruling has now been reversed.
Multi Time Machine has been convincing the court to reinstate the 2011 complaint. In 2013, the high-end watch brand has claimed that Amazon has had buyers fooled into thinking that brands Luminox and Chase-Durer are made by MTM.
In February of the same year, U.S. District Court Judge Dean Pregerson took Amazon's side. The lawsuit was dismissed.
"Other online retailers that do not carry MTM Special Ops watches clearly inform their customers who search for such watches that they do not offer them for sale, before suggesting alternative watches to the customer," Multi Time Machine said about Amazon's search results in a 2013 statement.
Amazon is not the only company facing complaints regarding search results. A few weeks ago, Google has been revealed to favor its suggested search results, a study revealed. The move, for the two companies' part, may be a bid to stay on top. For Amazon, it means not missing a sales opportunity. For Google, it means retaining and solidifying its position as arguably the largest search engine.
Whatever the reason, it looks like it has begun working against them.
