Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

New Hockey Team's Trademark Dispute Nothing New

By Elio F. Martinez Jr.

What happens in Vegas does not necessarily stay in Vegas. Sometimes it has repercussions in other places, like upstate New York. Such was the recent ruling by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that denied registration of the trademarks “Las Vegas Golden Knights” and “Vegas Golden Knights” to the newest National Hockey League franchise, due to their similarity to Golden Knights of the College of Saint Rose, a mark owned by a small college in Albany, NY.

The Vegas Golden Knights, set to begin NHL play later this year, sought registration of its marks for clothing and “entertainment services, namely professional ice hockey exhibitions.” In November 2016, the team unveiled its nickname and logo depicting a knight's helmet. Demand for team merchandise was strong and the club expected sales to grow heading into its debut season.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

Judge Rules Shaquille O'Neal Will Face Securities Lawsuit for Promotion, Sale of NFTs Image

A federal district court in Miami, FL, has ruled that former National Basketball Association star Shaquille O'Neal will have to face a lawsuit over his promotion of unregistered securities in the form of cryptocurrency tokens and that he was a "seller" of these unregistered securities.

Removing Restrictive Covenants In New York Image

In Rockwell v. Despart, the New York Supreme Court, Third Department, recently revisited a recurring question: When may a landowner seek judicial removal of a covenant restricting use of her land?

Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It Image

Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?

Blockchain Domains: New Developments for Brand Owners Image

Blockchain domain names offer decentralized alternatives to traditional DNS-based domain names, promising enhanced security, privacy and censorship resistance. However, these benefits come with significant challenges, particularly for brand owners seeking to protect their trademarks in these new digital spaces.