Army makes their displeasure with VGK official.

[BattleBorn]

They don't like the Golden Knights name and apparently want it to change.



Funny, I kind of like it now.

Click to read more...

 

[BattleBorn]

Here's the official filing, if you're interested.

USPTO TTABVUE. Proceeding Number 91238886

The articles they use as supporting evidence are pretty funny.

 

[Say Hey Kid]

Do they think they are members of King Arthur's Round Table?

 

[willy702]

Well guess we won't be playing at West Point

 

[Ginormousthumbs]

Just float some cash up north to London and biggity bam, Las Vegas Knights.
Everyone is happy

 

[GKG18]

The Golden Knights of UCF didn't seem to give a shit, and they went 13-0! It's the year of the Golden Knight!!!!

 

[BattleBorn]

The Golden Knights of UCF didn't seem to give a ****, and they went 13-0! It's the year of the Golden Knight!!!!

They changed to the Knights a few years ago.

The issue isn't really on the team's end, it's a case of the Army Golden Knights parachute team no longer being the #1 entity named Golden Knights. They've got to protest the use by VGK or they can lose their trademark rights to the name. The USPTO doesn't enforce trademarks, it grants them. If you've got a trademark and someone else uses it and you don't protest their use, you can effectively lose your trademark.

I expect there to be an out of court settlement for VGK to use the name, I'm just a little nervous because the DoD has plenty of money and are likely less open to taking a couple hundred thousand to work out an agreement.

 

[HanSolo]

With the kind of season we've had, I'd really warmed to the Golden Knights game.

I guess if we lost the Golden part of the name we could call this season the "Golden Season"

 

[ChanceVegas]

They changed to the Knights a few years ago.

The issue isn't really on the team's end, it's a case of the Army Golden Knights parachute team no longer being the #1 entity named Golden Knights. They've got to protest the use by VGK or they can lose their trademark rights to the name. The USPTO doesn't enforce trademarks, it grants them. If you've got a trademark and someone else uses it and you don't protest their use, you can effectively lose your trademark.

I expect there to be an out of court settlement for VGK to use the name, I'm just a little nervous because the DoD has plenty of money and are likely less open to taking a couple hundred thousand to work out an agreement.

I wonder if the settlement can amount in some form of free advertising/sponsorship. Granted the Army has a ton of money, but they also spend a ton of money on advertising during sporting events. Most is NFL and college football, but this may be a way for an easy "in" into the NHL market. I can see a whole lot of potential marketing tie-ins here, and I am sure Foley would jump at that.

In light of the fact the Foley is really trying to pay homage to the Army here, I would be pretty surprised if this does not get settled and VGK retains their name.

 

[HanSolo]

I wonder if the settlement can amount in some form of free advertising/sponsorship. Granted the Army has a ton of money, but they also spend a ton of money on advertising during sporting events. Most is NFL and college football, but this may be a way for an easy "in" into the NHL market. I can see a whole lot of potential marketing tie-ins here, and I am sure Foley would jump at that.

In light of the fact the Foley is really trying to pay homage to the Army here, I would be pretty surprised if this does not get settled and VGK retains their name.

Imagine if Vegas becomes a perennial disappointment. I think the idea that an Army team name can be linked with failure might matter more to Army than the homage. The US Military is already entrenched in ideals of reputation and prestige. I don't think they'd like the Golden Knights name being out of their control but maybe I'm being business naive.

 

[BattleBorn]

Imagine if Vegas becomes a perennial disappointment. I think the idea that an Army team name can be linked with failure might matter more to Army than the homage. The US Military is already entrenched in ideals of reputation and prestige. I don't think they'd like the Golden Knights name being out of their control but maybe I'm being business naive.

I'm guessing it's token opposition. I don't see them actually getting to a place where the name has to change.

However, with the DoD and College of St. Rose involved (CoSR asked for another extension) it might just wind up being a pain in the ass for the team to deal with. It would have to get pretty bad for the team to just say whatever and change, though.

 

[Nevada Jones]

Was never a fan of the Golden Knights name (no strong connection to the city, state, etc.), but if we had to go with the Knights theme (and did we ever really have a choice?), Desert Knights would have been kinda okay.

That said, the name has grown on me (kinda like a friendly fungus ) and would hate to see us have to give it up.

Didn't anyone VGK sort out possible problems with the name before this all started? One of a couple off-ice missteps made in establishing this team.

Also, would be a bit embarrassing if we had to change the name somehow, I think.

Hopefully this will work out to the satisfaction of all involved without that happening.

Ya think the Army would give one of their own (Foley) a break. C'mon!

 

[Nevada Jones]

I'm guessing it's token opposition. I don't see them actually getting to a place where the name has to change.

However, with the DoD and College of St. Rose involved (CoSR asked for another extension) it might just wind up being a pain in the ass for the team to deal with. It would have to get pretty bad for the team to just say whatever and change, though.

Am I imagining it or didn't we already pay off St. Rose to go away?

 

[BattleBorn]

Was never a fan of the Golden Knights name (no strong connection to the city, state, etc.), but if we had to go with the Knights theme (and did we ever really have a choice?), Desert Knights would have been kinda okay.

That said, the name has grown on me (kinda like a friendly fungus ) and would hate to see us have to give it up.

Didn't anyone VGK sort out possible problems with the name before this all started? One of a couple off-ice missteps made in establishing this team.

Also, would be a bit embarrassing if we had to change the name somehow, I think.

Hopefully this will work out to the satisfaction of all involved without that happening.

Ya think the Army would give one of their own (Foley) a break. C'mon!

Trademarks are weird. I'm sure plenty of trademark attorneys for the league, team, and potentially even Fidelity saw what Foley was doing, did their searches, checked everything, and thought there was a decent chance it would get through the approval process. It just didn't work out that way.

It happens. The good news is that nobody's served the team with Cease and Desist orders to stop using the name, which would make it really legal. This is just opposition to the trademark registration as part of the trademark approval process.

Am I imagining it or didn't we already pay off St. Rose to go away?

They haven't paid anyone out that I know of. College of St. Rose filed for an extension (again) to put their opposition together.

 

[Nevada Jones]

Trademarks are weird. I'm sure plenty of trademark attorneys for the league, team, and potentially even Fidelity saw what Foley was doing, did their searches, checked everything, and thought there was a decent chance it would get through the approval process. It just didn't work out that way.

It happens. The good news is that nobody's served the team with Cease and Desist orders to stop using the name, which would make it really legal. This is just opposition to the trademark registration as part of the trademark approval process.

They haven't paid anyone out that I know of. College of St. Rose filed for an extension (again) to put their opposition together.

I be trippin' then. Thought I had read something somewhere about a $100,000 settlement.

Jeez, where did I get that from?!?

 

[BattleBorn]

I be trippin' then. Thought I had read something somewhere about a $100,000 settlement.

Jeez, where did I get that from?!?

There's a decent chance I'm wrong.

Doesn't make a ton of sense to pay people off until they let you know they'll oppose your effort. I could have missed a payout, but I know someone else (I think it was St. Rose) is asking for an extension. I'm guessing they're just waiting out the DoD since the DoD has more money and attorneys than a small college.

It's kind of weird that It's College of St. Rose when we have a St. Rose Parkway here in town that's a pretty major road. St. Rose doesn't seem like a real popular street name around the country.

 

[ChanceVegas]

There's a decent chance I'm wrong.

Doesn't make a ton of sense to pay people off until they let you know they'll oppose your effort. I could have missed a payout, but I know someone else (I think it was St. Rose) is asking for an extension. I'm guessing they're just waiting out the DoD since the DoD has more money and attorneys than a small college.

It's kind of weird that It's College of St. Rose when we have a St. Rose Parkway here in town that's a pretty major road. St. Rose doesn't seem like a real popular street name around the country.

For those who don't know, St Rose Pkwy comes from St. Rose Hospital, the first was the hospital in Henderson, St. Rose de Lima (named after an actual saint and historical figure: Rose of Lima - Wikipedia ), and the second was the hospital built on that road, St Rose Dominican (named both for St Rose and the Order of Dominican Sisters, who were the original founders of St. Rose de Lima hospital). All of St. Rose pkwy and the portion of the 215 beltway from Pecos/St Rose to Lake Mead Pkwy was originally a two lane highway from I-15 to Henderson, known as the "Henderson cut-off" or "Lake Mead cut-off" until 215 was built. When I was a kid and we had to go to the Lake from west LV, we took the cut-off occasionally (93/95 was not even finished to Henderson at the time). It was a really long drive through a whole lot of desert at the time.

Sorry for that useless info, but I'm a bit of a Henderson history buff and I can't help myself lol.

 

[Nevada Jones]

"There's a decent chance I'm wrong."

No, I think I may have dreamt it. Did a real quick Google and didn't find anything. Or maybe I'm just recalling some speculation about what it might take to pay off St. Rose.

 

[BattleBorn]

For those who don't know, St Rose Pkwy comes from St. Rose Hospital, the first was the hospital in Henderson, St. Rose de Lima (named after an actual saint and historical figure: Rose of Lima - Wikipedia ), and the second was the hospital built on that road, St Rose Dominican (named both for St Rose and the Order of Dominican Sisters, who were the original founders of St. Rose de Lima hospital). All of St. Rose pkwy and the portion of the 215 beltway from Pecos/St Rose to Lake Mead Pkwy was originally a two lane highway from I-15 to Henderson, known as the "Henderson cut-off" or "Lake Mead cut-off" until 215 was built. When I was a kid and we had to go to the Lake from west LV, we took the cut-off occasionally (93/95 was not even finished to Henderson at the time). It was a really long drive through a whole lot of desert at the time.

Sorry for that useless info, but I'm a bit of a Henderson history buff and I can't help myself lol.

I am also a local history nerd, no need to apologize.

 

[ChanceVegas]

Interesting

 

[willy702]

Interesting

Of course not. The only thing that can happen is they don't get the trademarks and end up have to pay some sort of royalty to the Army. I'm sure Foley would have no issue with that and I highly doubt the Army will say we don't want them to have anything to do with the name. Its free publicity for the Army and its a donation I'm sure Foley would make voluntarily.

 

[IceNeophyte]

They changed to the Knights a few years ago.

The issue isn't really on the team's end, it's a case of the Army Golden Knights parachute team no longer being the #1 entity named Golden Knights. They've got to protest the use by VGK or they can lose their trademark rights to the name. The USPTO doesn't enforce trademarks, it grants them. If you've got a trademark and someone else uses it and you don't protest their use, you can effectively lose your trademark.

I expect there to be an out of court settlement for VGK to use the name, I'm just a little nervous because the DoD has plenty of money and are likely less open to taking a couple hundred thousand to work out an agreement.

Army has no trademark to the name, never requested one.

 

[IceNeophyte]

Of course not. The only thing that can happen is they don't get the trademarks and end up have to pay some sort of royalty to the Army. I'm sure Foley would have no issue with that and I highly doubt the Army will say we don't want them to have anything to do with the name. Its free publicity for the Army and its a donation I'm sure Foley would make voluntarily.

That's a big issue, actually, because you and I could start pumping out VGK jerseys.

 

[BattleBorn]

Army has no trademark to the name, never requested one.

They don't have a registered trademark, but they've definitely got a trademark.

 

[willy702]

That's a big issue, actually, because you and I could start pumping out VGK jerseys.

Yeah sure we can put the term Vegas Golden Knights on a shirt, but we can't use the logo, the exact color scheme, the NHL shield or much else. But we could have a large shirt made with jersey like material and see how many they could sell.