Little Trees

Trademark

Car-Freshner fiercely defends its trademark of the tree-shaped air freshener design, and has filed several lawsuits against makers of lookalike products and against companies that use their products in other commercial media.

• In 2002, Car-Freshner sued Rite Way Wholesale and Distributors, Inc. of New York for importing and distributing a "vanilla-scented tree shaped air fresheners with a patriotic design". As a result of the judgement, the defendants were required to surrender their entire inventory to the plaintiffs for destruction, and were required to pay an unspecified penalty.

• In 2006, Car-Freshner sued Dale Detwiler (owner of the Austin, Texas-based Corndog Cards & Novelties) after Detwiler company produced holiday greeting cards that bore a glow-in-the-dark image of a scratch-and-sniff tree-shaped air freshener.

• In 2006, Car-Freshner won a suit against UK-based Tetrosyl Ltd for producing a tree-shaped air freshener that "included snow, flashing lights, the shape of a tub at the bottom".

• In 2009, Car-Freshner sued Getty Images for unauthorized use of its tree-shaped air fresheners in a series of stock photographs.

• Julius Sämann Ltd. filed a complaint with the Norwegian Industrial Property Office (NIPO) against Bulgarian air-freshener manufacturer Balev Eood for producing an aircraft-shaped air freshener which was somewhat similar in shape to their trademarked fir tree shape. NIPO rejected the complaint, and the Board of Appeal upheld the decision in January 2011.

• In 2011, Car-Freshner sued Beck & Call for producing a similar line of tree-shaped promotional air fresheners.

• In December 2015, Car-Freshner sued Sun Cedar, a non-profit organization that aimed to provide gainful employment to the homeless and previously incarcerated, for producing tree-shaped air fresheners made of cedar wood. In September 2016, unable to cope with the growing legal costs, Sun Cedar filed for bankruptcy.

• In 2018, Car-Freshner sued Balenciaga for making $275 key chains that copy the appearance of the Little Trees air fresheners.

In popular culture

British artist Jack Williams, the son of a car salesman, created ‘‘Forest’’, a 2009 installation using 350 Royal Pine air fresheners, hung in a square configuration from the ceiling via fishing wire.

In the I Am Weasel episode Power of Odor, the atmosphere of a city is being compromised by the stench of pigs owned by I.R. Baboon. The city's mayor tries to take on the smell as he walks into the scene with a tree-shaped air freshener tied to his nose. But the stench proves too powerful when his air freshener turns into soot.

In the sloth scene in the 1995 film Seven, several 'Little Tree' air-fresheners were suspended in a room to mask the smell of the emaciated body.

In the Chowder episode Stinky Love, Mung Daal's staff manages to make dozens of a stinky dish in deep pans. Because Schnitzel could not take the dish’s strong smell, he has to wear a few Little Trees as he serves them to the customers.

In the 2009 adult animated short film Logorama the green and pink Little Trees air-freseners were seen in the background.

Legality

Main article: Suspending objects from rear-view mirrors

In the United States, many states have regulations concerning obstructed view, objects hanging from the rear-view mirror, obstructed windshield, or similar legislation. Citations and/or custodial arrests for violations of such statutes are not unknown.

References

References

1. "Little Trees Europe".
2. (March 2, 2012). "Who Made Those Little Trees Air Fresheners?". The New York Times Magazine.
3. O'Connor, Deb. (August 2005). "Little Trees: An American icon born and raised in Watertown". Absolutely Business.
4. "Julius Samann".
5. "Oblon, Spivak Logs A Court Victory For Car-Freshner's "Little Trees"; Counterfeit Air Freshener Trees Turned Over For Destruction".
6. "If a Tree Falls on a Corndog ... Austin novelty card company gets crushed by lawyers and money". Austin Chronicle.
7. "High Court Grants Breathing Space to Tree-Shaped Air Fresheners".
8. "Judgement in the case of Julius Sämann v. Tetrosyl ltd".
9. "Something Smells Off: Getty Images Sued Over Silhouette of Air Freshener".
10. "Makers of Pine-Tree Deodorizers Allowed to Proceed With Lawsuit Against Getty Images".
11. "Areon Bulgaria Ltd - Perfumery and cosmetics".
12. "Court rules in air freshener case".
13. "Car-Freshner Corporation and Julius Sämann Ltd. vs. Stanislawski Marketingventures, LLC, D/B/A Beck & Call".
14. "Trademark Claim Sticks in Fight Over Evergreen Car Fresheners". New York Law Journal.
15. "Facing a trademark infringement lawsuit, Sun Cedar files for bankruptcy and closes its doors".
16. (20 March 2019). "Balenciaga and Car-Freshner Corp. Settle Suit over the Fashion Brand's $275 Copycat Keychains".
17. Williams, Jack. (2009). "Forest". free-range.org.uk.
18. (March 2, 2012). "Who Made Those Little Trees Air Fresheners?". The New York Times Magazine.
19. (August 19, 1997). "Power of Odor".
20. (13 July 2008). "Seven - Sloth Scene".
21. "Californian Vehicle Code Section 26700-26712".
22. (2011-08-25). "A little change for Magic Tree". CAT.
23. (2014-02-25). "The Magic Tree air freshener: where it came from, and why it's so successful". ArnoldClark.com.