Amazon apologises to fishmonger after lawyers intervene over sale of ‘prime day boat fish’
2 min read
A little bait catches a large fish?
21 June was just another day at work for Robin Moxon, who owns a small chain of fishmongers in London. Until a legal letter arrived from one of the world’s biggest corporations. Amazon’s lawyers said Mr Moxon’s “prime day boat fish” blackboards could be confused for Prime Day, its online shopping offer.
Prime number
Mr Moxon was astounded, and got on the blower to Amazon’s solicitors – who promptly apologised. “I basically said to them, ‘Are you taking the piss?’,” he recalled. The lawyers had said the firm, founded by world’s richest man Jeff Bezos, “appreciates your enthusiasm for its Prime Day”. Said Mr Moxon: “It was heavy handed and offensive.”
Funk sole brother
“Prime day” is used in the fish-selling trade to denote fresh stock sustainably caught on boats which only spend a day at sea. Popular species include turbot, brill and Dover sole. “This phrase has been used by many people probably for hundreds of years,” Mr Moxon, who set up shop in Clapham 25 years ago, said. “This phrase was being well used probably before Amazon existed in this country and before Jeff Bezos was a glint in his mother’s eye.”
Fishing expeditions?
It’s not the first time this year that Amazon’s lawyers have been hard at work. In February Amazon sued New York’s attorney general, following her investigation into workplace safety at the firm’s sites during the pandemic. Amazon faces accusations of sacking workers who spoke out with safety concerns. It said top state lawyer Letitia James was making “exorbitant demands” in saying it should subsidise public transport and hire a safety expert.
