MARTHA STEWART - STEWART FACES LEGAL ACTION OVER TRADEMARK APPLICATION

Lifestyle guru MARTHA STEWART is set to battle her New York state neighbours after locals voted to fight her attempts to trademark the town's name. Stewart's company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, already boasts a furniture collection bearing the name of her hometown of Katonah in Westchester County, but locals have objected to the trademark application filed to patent the name for use with other household products. The Katonah Village Improvement Society agreed on Monday (26MAR07) to take legal action to prevent Stewart from using the Katonah name for future products, reports the New York Daily News. BILL TISHERMAN, vice president of the Improvement Society says, "They are just waiting to see if we have the stomach to proceed to any degree (with opposition). "If we don't proceed, then we lose." The town has until 11 April (07) to make its case before the US Patent and Trademark Office.