Oprah Winfrey just had another Aha! Moment -- when she decided to wage a legal war against an insurance company using her signature catchphrase.
Just a few days ago, Oprah's lawyers fired off a cease and desist letter to Mutual of Omaha demanding they shut down their plans to run a gigantic advertising campaign with the slogan, "Official sponsor of the aha moment."
In the letter, sent April 21, Oprah's peeps claim they have the rights to the "Aha Moment" slogan and they threatened to sue because O doesn't want Mutual to mislead her fans into thinking she's associated with them.
But Mutual of Omaha is fighting back with a lawsuit, claiming that even if Oprah had trademark rights to the phrase, she "abandoned" those rights by failing to "police their alleged mark" when other businesses used it in the past.
In the suit, filed Wednesday in federal court in Nebraska, Mutual asks the judge to rule that they have the right to use the phrase in their campaign.
A rep for O tells us, "Harpo has not filed a lawsuit or counterclaim against Mutual of Omaha. We hope to reach an amicable resolution on this issue."
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Reader Comments
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Oh My stars Oprah, it is not like you don't have enough money already! Get real! You did not coin that phrase. YOu have just gotten above yourself! Stop it!
Not even God-Queen Oprah can stand toe to toe with the legal team of an insurance company.
Give it up Oprah... you don't have the money to fight this one.
... and it's just stupid anyway.
get over urself lady...u friggin think u own the whole world..ur ass might, but u dont..my god..remember where u started..cant wait till ur off the air...retire already.
She is not the first person to use that phrase!!! That is so ridiculous!!! not only is she totally untalented, but she think she owns everything. Cant stand her.
How silly! We have bigger fish to fry Oprah. The world's a mess and your worried about copyrights? Yuc!
harpo is an enormous bully, who will one day bully the wrong person or people.
That phrase needs to die along with "teachable moment." Who are the losers that actually still watch this boring smug self-important woman? She is dangerous, too much influence with too little intelligence and too much arrogance.
Oprah doesn't own the aha moment......that was around before her......she thinks she owns everything, including the president. I hope someone finally shows her.
I'm so off Oprah. Every since Katrina and her vist to louisiana. I will never watch her show or buy her magazine.
She has no rights since she hasn't even filed for trademark protection. Mutual of Omaha filed for it last August. And another company in FL filed for it last June.
And whoever said Oprah thinks she owns everyone and everything is soooo right. Couldn't have said it better myself.
GET OVER YOURSELF OPRAH. CAN'T STAND YOU ANYMORE. TIME TO RETIRE BECAUSE NOBODY IS WATCHING YOU ANYMORE. SHE IS A DISGRACE.. AN UGLY ONE TOO.
