Hallmark sues Dollar General in Copyright Case

Hallmark sues Dollar General in Copyright Case
Hallmark Cards Inc. is seeing red after discovering cosmic flowers, circle dots and blue swirls on sale for $1 each at Dollar General Corp.

Those gift-bag designs are protected by copyright, Hallmark argued Wednesday in a suit filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City that asks for an injunction preventing Dollar General (NYSE: DG) from selling the bags.

The suit seeks to recover an unspecified amount of profits, legal fees and damages.

"Hallmark is renowned for its highly creative and original works of authorship placed on or used in connection with its gift bags, which are works of art in their own right," the company's suit said.

The copyright suit includes a Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP legal secretary's affidavit stating that in early October in Independence, she had bought from a Dollar General Store several $1 bags resembling Hallmark's Peek-a-Boo line of bag designs.

In all, the suit alleges that Dollar General has sold nine designs of gift bags with "striking similarity" to Hallmark's copyrighted products.