Little Trees
{{Short description|Tree-shaped air fresheners}}
{{Other uses|Little tree (disambiguation)}}
Little Trees are disposable air fresheners shaped like a stylized evergreen tree, marketed for use in motor vehicles, and most commonly seen hanging from rear-view mirrors. They are made of an absorbent material produced in a variety of colors and scents.
Little Trees were invented in 1952 in Watertown, New York, by Julius Sämann, a German-Jewish chemist and businessman{{cite web|url=http://www.little-trees.co.uk|title=Little Trees Europe|format=Shockwave flash|accessdate=2006-05-13|website=little-trees.co.uk|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060501180954/http://www.little-trees.co.uk/|archivedate=2006-05-01}} who had fled the Nazis. He had studied Alpine tree aromas in the forests of Canada and was interested in the biological mechanisms used to transport and disseminate them.{{cite news|work=The New York Times Magazine|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/04/magazine/who-made-little-tree-air-fresheners.html|title=Who Made Those Little Trees Air Fresheners?|author1=Greenbaum, Hilary |author2=Rubinstein, Dana |date=March 2, 2012 }} Little Trees air fresheners are manufactured in the United States by the Car-Freshner Corporation at factories (such as Royal Pine) in Watertown, New York and DeWitt, Iowa. Several companies in Europe produce Little Trees under license from Julius Sämann Ltd. using the names Wunder-Baum (in Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Hungary and Sweden) and Arbre Magique (in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, and Spain).{{cite news|last=O'Connor |first=Deb |title=Little Trees: An American icon born and raised in Watertown |newspaper=Absolutely Business |pages=18–23 |date=August 2005 |url=http://www.absolutelybusiness.com/downloads/august05.pdf |accessdate=29 Sep 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009114002/http://www.absolutelybusiness.com/downloads/august05.pdf |archivedate=October 9, 2011 }} It was formerly known as Magic Tree in the United Kingdom until the "Little Tree" name was adopted in 2011. The company is known for pursuing lawsuits to protect its trademark.
Trademark
Car-Freshner fiercely defends its trademark of the tree-shaped air freshener design, and has filed several lawsuits against makers of lookalike products and against companies that use their products in other commercial media.{{cite web| url=http://dockets.justia.com/search?q=Julius+Samann+LTD |website=Dockets & Filings |title= Julius Samann |accessdate=2011-11-22}}
- In 2002, Car-Freshner sued Rite Way Wholesale and Distributors, Inc. of New York for importing and distributing a "vanilla-scented tree shaped air fresheners with a patriotic design". As a result of the judgement, the defendants were required to surrender their entire inventory to the plaintiffs for destruction, and were required to pay an unspecified penalty.{{cite web|url=http://www.oblon.com/news/oblon-spivak-logs-court-victory-Car-Freshners-little-trees-counterfeit-air-freshener-trees-turn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102102743/http://www.oblon.com/news/oblon-spivak-logs-court-victory-Car-Freshners-little-trees-counterfeit-air-freshener-trees-turn |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-11-02 |website=Oblon.com|title=Oblon, Spivak Logs A Court Victory For Car-Freshner's "Little Trees"; Counterfeit Air Freshener Trees Turned Over For Destruction|accessdate=2011-11-22}}
- In 2006, Car-Freshner sued Dale Detwiler (owner of the Austin, Texas-based Corndog Cards & Novelties) after Detwiler company produced holiday greeting cards that bore a glow-in-the-dark image of a scratch-and-sniff tree-shaped air freshener.{{cite news|url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2006-03-24/349745/ |title=If a Tree Falls on a Corndog ... Austin novelty card company gets crushed by lawyers and money|work=Austin Chronicle|accessdate=2011-11-22}}
- In 2006, Car-Freshner won a suit against UK-based Tetrosyl Ltd for producing a tree-shaped air freshener that "included snow, flashing lights, the shape of a tub at the bottom".{{cite web|url=http://www.jenkins.eu/mym-autumn-2006/high-court-grants-breathing-space.asp|title=High Court Grants Breathing Space to Tree-Shaped Air Fresheners|accessdate=2011-11-22|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120823084723/http://www.jenkins.eu/mym-autumn-2006/high-court-grants-breathing-space.asp|archivedate=2012-08-23}}{{cite web|url=http://oami.europa.eu/pdf/natcourt/Julius_Samann.pdf|title=Judgement in the case of Julius Sämann v. Tetrosyl ltd|accessdate=2011-11-22|website=Jenkins.eu}}
- In 2009, Car-Freshner sued Getty Images for unauthorized use of its tree-shaped air fresheners in a series of stock photographs.{{cite web|url=http://www.chillingeffects.org/weather.cgi?WeatherID=623|website=chillingeffects.org|title=Something Smells Off: Getty Images Sued Over Silhouette of Air Freshener|accessdate=2011-11-22}}{{cite web|url=http://www.courtroomstrategy.com/2011/10/makers-of-pine-tree-deodorizers-allowed-to-proceed-with-lawsuit-against-getty-images/|title=Makers of Pine-Tree Deodorizers Allowed to Proceed With Lawsuit Against Getty Images|accessdate=2011-11-22}}
- Julius Sämann Ltd. filed a complaint with the Norwegian Industrial Property Office (NIPO) against Bulgarian air-freshener manufacturer Balev Eood for producing an aircraft-shaped air freshener which was somewhat similar in shape to their trademarked fir tree shape.{{cite web |url=http://kras.net/companies_detail.php?lang=2&m_id=4349 |title=Areon Bulgaria Ltd - Perfumery and cosmetics |website=Kras.net |accessdate=2012-04-14 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426000912/http://kras.net/companies_detail.php?lang=2&m_id=4349 |archivedate=2012-04-26 }} NIPO rejected the complaint, and the Board of Appeal upheld the decision in January 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.baa.no/visartikkel.asp?art=618|title=Court rules in air freshener case|accessdate=2011-11-22|website=baa.no|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120720072229/http://www.baa.no/visartikkel.asp?art=618|archivedate=2012-07-20}}
- In 2011, Car-Freshner sued Beck & Call for producing a similar line of tree-shaped promotional air fresheners.{{cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/52085715/Complaint-Freshner |title=Car-Freshner Corporation and Julius Sämann Ltd. vs. Stanislawski Marketingventures, LLC, D/B/A Beck & Call|website=Scribd|accessdate=2011-11-22}}
- In December 2015, Car-Freshner sued Sun Cedar, a non-profit organization that aimed to provide gainful employment to the homeless and previously incarcerated, for producing tree-shaped air fresheners made of cedar wood. In September 2016, unable to cope with the growing legal costs, Sun Cedar filed for bankruptcy.{{cite news|title=Trademark Claim Sticks in Fight Over Evergreen Car Fresheners|url=http://www.newyorklawjournal.com/id=1202762650430/Trademark-Claim-Sticks-in-Fight-Over-Evergreen-Car-Fresheners?slreturn=20160927114720|journal=New York Law Journal|accessdate=27 October 2016}}{{cite web|title=Facing a trademark infringement lawsuit, Sun Cedar files for bankruptcy and closes its doors|url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2016/sep/26/facing-trademark-infringement-lawsuit-sun-cedar-fi/|website=LJWorld.com|accessdate=27 October 2016}}
- In 2018, Car-Freshner sued Balenciaga for making $275 key chains that copy the appearance of the Little Trees air fresheners.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thefashionlaw.com/balenciaga-and-car-freshner-corp-settle-suit-over-the-fashion-brands-copycat-keychains/|title=Balenciaga and Car-Freshner Corp. Settle Suit over the Fashion Brand's $275 Copycat Keychains|date=20 March 2019}}
In popular culture
British artist Jack Williams, the son of a car salesman, created ‘‘Forest’’,{{cite book|publisher=free-range.org.uk|url=http://www.free-range.org.uk/cgi-bin/portfolio.pl?yearID=14&exhibitionID=525&memberID=15620|title=Forest|date=2009|author=Williams, Jack|location=UK}} a 2009 installation using 350 Royal Pine air fresheners, hung in a square configuration from the ceiling via fishing wire.{{cite news|work=The New York Times Magazine|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/04/magazine/who-made-little-tree-air-fresheners.html|title=Who Made Those Little Trees Air Fresheners?|author1=Greenbaum, Hilary |author2=Rubinstein, Dana |date=March 2, 2012 }}
In the I Am Weasel episode Power of Odor, the atmosphere of a city is being compromised by the stench of pigs owned by I.R. Baboon. The city's mayor tries to take on the smell as he walks into the scene with a tree-shaped air freshener tied to his nose. But the stench proves too powerful when his air freshener turns into soot. {{cite episode |title=Power of Odor |series=I Am Weasel |network=Cartoon Network |date=August 19, 1997|season=1 |number=6}}
In the sloth scene in the 1995 film Seven, several 'Little Tree' air-fresheners were suspended in a room to mask the smell of the emaciated body. {{Citation |title=Seven - Sloth Scene | date=13 July 2008 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7J02CRoYUk |access-date=2024-03-05 |language=en}}
In the Chowder episode Stinky Love, Mung Daal’s staff manages to make dozens of a stinky dish in deep pans. Because Schnitzel could not take dish’s strong smell, he has to wear a few Little Trees as he serves them to the customers.
Legality
{{main|Suspending objects from rear-view mirrors}}
In the United States, many states have regulations concerning obstructed view, objects hanging from the rear-view mirror, obstructed windshield, or similar legislation. Citations and/or custodial arrests for violations of such statutes are not unknown.{{cite web|url=http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=veh&group=26001-27000&file=26700-26712|title=Californian Vehicle Code Section 26700-26712|website=leginfo.ca.gov|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090526044115/http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=veh&group=26001-27000&file=26700-26712|archivedate=2009-05-26}}
References
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170506095337/http://www.catmag.co.uk/a-little-change-for-magic-tree|archive-date=2017-05-06|date=2011-08-25|title=A little change for Magic Tree|publisher=CAT|url=http://www.catmag.co.uk/a-little-change-for-magic-tree|quote=One of the most recognisable brands in the UK aftermarket, [Magic Tree's UK distributor has] announced that from this month the Magic Tree brand will change its name to Little Trees.|access-date=2018-02-03}}{{cite web|title=The Magic Tree air freshener: where it came from, and why it's so successful|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160728171115/http://www.arnoldclark.com/newsroom/510-the-magic-tree-air-freshener-where-it-came-from-and-why-it-s-so-successful|url=https://www.arnoldclark.com/newsroom/510-the-magic-tree-air-freshener-where-it-came-from-and-why-it-s-so-successful|archive-date=2016-07-28|quote=The Magic Tree car air freshener – now more commonly known as the Little Trees air freshener – has become a motoring icon.|publisher=ArnoldClark.com|access-date=2018-02-03|date=2014-02-25|url-status=dead}}
}}
External links
- [https://www.littletrees.com Car-Freshner Corporation] @ www.littletrees.com
- [https://www.little-trees.eu/ Little Trees Europe] @ www.little-trees.eu