Subway Sues Quiznos Over Sandwich Slander

By Kathy Avgerinos

In 2006, Quiznos sponsored a nationwide contest, “Quiznos v. Subway TV Ad Challenge,” inviting the public to submit homemade videos promoting Quiznos sandwiches over those of rival Subway. The videos, which were to follow the theme of "meat, no meat", were published on www.meatnomeat.com and iFilm. The New York Times reports that Subway consequently sued Quiznos and iFilm for false advertising, claiming that the videos make false claims and slander the Subway brand. Quiznos' defense argues that the company did not make the videos itself and should therefore not be liable for user-generated content. The case, now in the District Court of Connecticut, will be determined by how the court interprets two laws: the Lanham Act, which concerns trademark rights, and the Communications Decency Act, designed to police the Internet. If Quiznos is found liable, the whole market of competitive advertising could be jeopardized. Photo by Ed Andrieski (c) 2005 Associated Press

The following are examples of contest entries that can be found on YouTube.com:
Sandwich Artist
Finger Puppets
Anything for Quiznos