Coca-Cola v. Koke Co. of America
The Coca-Cola Co. v. The Koke Co. of America · 1920 · Supreme Court of the United States
What happened
An early and influential decision protecting Coca-Cola against a phonetically similar competing name.
The money
No reliable public figure. This dispute matters for the rule it settled rather than for a damages number, and many trademark matters resolve on confidential terms.
What it means for your business
Sound-alike names have been actionable for over a century. Changing the spelling while keeping the sound has never been a workable strategy.