Demand Toys R Us drop lawsuit against Toyz
Demand Toys R Us drop lawsuit against Toyz
Why this petition matters
Don’t let corporate greed run over any more small businesses!
This is a classic “David versus Goliath” story and with enough support from the community, Toyz is hoping this petition will force Toys R Us to drop this lawsuit.
A local, family-owned toy store in Houston, Texas called “Toyz” was recently sued by Toys R Us for bogus claims of trademark violations, and it needs the community’s support to fight back. Toyz has proudly served Houston communities for almost 20 years after it’s female owner, Farida Afzal, immigrated here from Pakistan. She worked tirelessly to achieve great success, by growing Toyz to multiple locations.
Background:
Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and closed down most (if not all) of their stores leaving over 30,000 employees jobless and initially without severance. Shortly thereafter, they were sued for claims of fraud that their top executives took huge bonuses.
Toys R Us had their store in the Galleria Mall for months directly in the line of sight of the previous Toyz location. When the Toys R Us store closed down, Toyz was approached by mall management to take over Toys R Us’s old location. However, moving into the unit was no small feat. Toys R Us left behind a treehouse, a few signs, a mirror and a mess for the next tenant to clean up. Toyz did not want to throw away property that was not theirs, and some items (like the treehouse) were immovable, so they asked mall management for assistance but were left to figure things out for themselves.
A few months after moving in, Toyz received a letter from Toys R Us informing Toyz that they will be taking legal action against them for using the items left behind and for using their “likeness” in Toyz’s logo. Toys R Us demanded that Toyz pay them a percentage of sales for all the years they’ve used their current logo. As most people would agree, the logos look nothing alike.
Toys R Us has done this before, forcing a small toy store owner in New Jersey to go out of business and this time we simply cannot let them win!
What you can do:
Toyz has been trapped in a costly and time-consuming legal battle for months now. They have spent tens of thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees and legal costs.
We ask that you show your support by signing this petition demanding that Toys R Us drop this frivolous lawsuit and reimburse Toyz for all the massive legal costs they have had to incur over this pointless battle. You can also help by stopping by Toyz located at the Galleria Mall in Houston, Texas, or by visiting them online at toyzdistributor.com.
Farida and her family appreciate the growing support from the public and can’t express how thankful they are. Please continue to share her story and support your local Houston business.
To learn more, visit the websites below:
https://abc13.com/amp/toys-r-us-toy-store-files-lawsuit-filed-against-houston-toyz/12187277/
https://www.yahoo.com/now/toysrus-files-suit-against-houston-010030853.html