Issue No. 048 · Story 03 · September 2, 2026
TrademarkGourmet Revival Rebrands as Buffet After Trademark Settlement
The worker-owned publication that revived Gourmet has adopted the name Buffet after agreeing to stop using the Gourmet mark in a confidential settlement with Condé Nast.
- §Goulash Unlimited relaunched Gourmet in January after claiming that the prior trademark registration had lapsed.
- §Condé Nast argued that it continued using the Gourmet name through Epicurious and branded video content.
- §The publication temporarily operated without a permanent name before launching as Buffet.
- §The settlement terms beyond the rebrand and discontinued use of Gourmet remain confidential.
THE TAKEAWAY
A lapsed registration does not necessarily end a trademark dispute when a prior owner claims continued use. The rebrand shows how settlement terms can resolve competing claims to a legacy media name without a final merits ruling.
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