The Brandcast

Some of you may be following Martha Stewart’s latest endeavor. It is a unique mission, one taking place on her home turf. The Guru of Good Things has created a line of high-end furniture that will be sold in Macy’s, and the issue isn’t that she wants to honor the New York town where she currently resides by calling the line “The Katonah Collection.” The issue is in her application to trademark the town name.

A visit to KatonahNY.com will tell you that the town was established in 1680. First known as Whitlockville, after a local mill, the town name was changed to Katonah in 1852, in honor of the Indian chief who founded the land for the Ramapo Indians and later sold it to the settlers. Over the centuries, Katonah, located 50 miles outside of New York City, has grown slowly more residential, struggling against the current to maintain its small town charm. In recent years, the town even turned down an application for a Starbucks, further implementing the collective desire to remain quaint, local, and historic.

You may love her or loathe her, but Martha Stewart has built an empire based on hard work, entrepreneurship, and fierce protection of her ideas. Not only does she live and breathe the brand, she is the brand. Having moved to the hamlet of Katonah in 2000, Martha has made the town - and her 152 acre historic estate, Cantitoe Corners - her home. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) insists that the action to trademark “Katonah,” speaks to Ms. Stewart’s love for the area, a tribute to quiet suburban life. The company points to other brands that have played off locations for product names, such as New York Magazine or Brooklyn Lager.

The idea of a corporation owning a small town name, however, makes the issue a lot more personal for the community’s inhabitants, especially since many stores at the town center are “mom & pop” locations, independently owned and operated. If a local businessman wants to open Katonah Locksmith once the town trademark is in place, can he do so without legal ramification? MSLO lawyers do say that this usage should not be a problem, but are quick to point out that it truly is a case by case issue. And this, perhaps, is what is most worrisome to the town of Katonah - not knowing how the name that symbolizes their historic roots will fare in the future.
While I’m not one to judge who is in the right here, I do find this case fascinating. When looking at the core of this battle, it’s clear that both parties are fighting for the same cause - ownership and protection of a name. As a nation, should we balance business growth with the protection of our past? Is it the responsibility of corporations to be mindful of the character of small town America? When commercialization is the name of the game (and let’s face it, it has been ever since Chief Katonah sold the land to the settlers) is any name fair territory? Only time will tell how this instance will play out in this small New York town. I, for one, will be watching with a curious eye.