How Aunt Jemima Changed U.S. Trademark Law

Imagine that you spent time and money developing a brand and an advertising icon and someone else just decided they’d use your idea, too. You’d probably take them to court! There are gray areas in copyright, though. How much of an idea is stolen or not, and how much damage is done to a brand varies from case to case. The case of Aunt Jemima was an important precedent, because Aunt Jemima Mills Company (which made pancake mix) didn’t like it a bit when Rigney and Company used the Aunt Jemima character to sell pancake syrup.

Find out what happened and why here.