NHL demanding $89,000 from Montreal restaurant

[Hamilton Tigers]

http://www.thespec.com/sports/article/533034--nhl-demanding-89-000-from-montreal-restaurant

The league is demanding $89,000 from Fadl Issa for putting up a sign in one of his downtown restaurants showing a man in a red-and-white Canadiens jersey slicing up shawarma.

The poster in one of the franchise’s restaurants near the Bell Centre also had the logo “Go Habs Go,” emblazoned near the fez-wearing character with a large handlebar moustache.

Is there another angle to this story, because I find it quite unbelievable?

Is this man really damaging the NHL or the Montreal Canadiens?

Click to read more...

 

[danishh]

when teams ask you to paint the town bleu blanc et rouge, they actually mean only if you pay them for it.

if he was showing the logos and stuff, i see how they would send out a cease and desist, but suing them? really?



and if you sue'd every fast food joint that had "go habs go" signage in montreal, the NHL could probably end revenue sharing.

 

[DaleCooper]

Sue them!!!

 

[Buck Aki Berg]

I'm all for companies protecting their brands (the courts have adopted a use-it-or-lose-it approach to copyright infringement), but there are more amicable ways to do it than this.

I'd happily tell the NHL to go pound sand if this is how they want to go about it.

 

[Kitsune]

The "Go Habs Go" being trademark is joke... seriously. The courts would throw it out in a hurry as its common phrase that's used everywhere.

 

[Cynick]

The NHL needs the money to save some of struggling, small market teams. Have some compassion people.

 

[Mayor Bee]

I'm all for companies protecting their brands (the courts have adopted a use-it-or-lose-it approach to copyright infringement), but there are more amicable ways to do it than this.

I'd happily tell the NHL to go pound sand if this is how they want to go about it.

At the same time, we're only getting one side of the story here.

Of course, in the last few years, Ohio State has tried legitimate garbage. They tried to shut down a guy who sold t-shirts that said "Beat Michigan"; no colors, logos, or anything was on these shirts except that non-trademarked phrase. They also tried to expand their own trademarks and licensing so that anyone who used the word "Ohio" as it related to sports could be subject to lawsuits. That would mean that Ohio University, which was around before Ohio State, would somehow be liable for infringement.

 

[New User Name]

Probably things like this in all (well, most) NHL cities yet Montreal is singled out...strange.

Ever been to Boston or Philly during the SC playoffs Gary?

The leagues a ****ing joke and my interest in the NHL is getting less and less.

 

[Vanier Park]

Probably things like this in all (well, most) NHL cities yet Montreal is singled out...strange.

Ever been to Boston or Philly during the SC playoffs Gary?

The leagues a ****ing joke and my interest in the NHL is getting less and less.

Montreal is not singled out. Dealership in Vancouver encountered the same

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/tells+Vancouver+auto+dealer+ditch+Canucks+sign/4699365/story.html

 

[Dado]

Probably things like this in all (well, most) NHL cities yet Montreal is singled out...strange.

Montreal not being singled out. There was a thread just last week about an equally Pejorative Slured brouhaha over a Vancouver sign.

 

[New User Name]

Montreal is not singled out. Dealership in Vancouver encountered the same

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/tells+Vancouver+auto+dealer+ditch+Canucks+sign/4699365/story.html

Montreal not being singled out. There was a thread just last week about an equally Pejorative Slured brouhaha over a Vancouver sign.

Montreal and Vancouver huh? I wonder what both these cities have in common?

First I heard about the Vancouver "Go Canucks Go" thing. Seriously, is that really an infringement?

Is it an infringement if I put "Go Canucks Go" under my name...like I will now.

 

[Cin]

What the hell is wrong with showing team spirit? I'd love it if more places around Dallas had Stars logos everywhere. It's just team spirit. Shows how much the league actually wants to get it's sport out there.

 

[Dado]

Montreal and Vancouver huh? I wonder what both these cities have in common?

A big enough fan base that makes it worth the companies' while to target them.

 

[Koss]

Canadian fans should just tell the NHL to stuff if.

 

[C77]

This witch-hunt is completely and utterly quixotic and shows a real lack of awareness on the NHL's part with regard to the perception of the league.

 

[jessebelanger]

This witch-hunt is completely and utterly quixotic and shows a real lack of awareness on the NHL's part with regard to the perception of the league.

Perhaps this brief article does not paint the whole picture.

 

[TMLeafer]

This is ridiculous.

Next thing you know, they'll start going after singers wearing NHL jerseys on the stage.

Telling the dealership to lose the "GO CANUCKS GO" is particularly strange. The logo issue is debatable, but this one is just absurd.

I agree with Cin.

I wonder if they'll go after a "Keep the " sign somewhere in Phoenix.

 

[C77]

Perhaps this brief article does not paint the whole picture.

Good point...I'm fairly pissed off at the league right now.

 

[vesperal]

It's not really a sign but a huge wall banner. The NHL sent a cease and desist letter two months ago asking for him to take it down. He didn't comply, he tried to evade them by painting the logo and the Go Habs Go part.

 

[Killion]

The "Go Habs Go" being trademark is joke... seriously. The courts would throw it out in a hurry as its common phrase that's used everywhere.

I dont know about that Kitsune. The NHL's not in the habit of launching "nonsense suits". We've got the "Shawarma Guy" & the issues over fake Sharks apparel being sold outside The Tank here today on the threads; last weeks car dealership in Vancouver. Seems to be some linkage, a message being sent from NHL Licensing. I remember from my Toronto days how sensitive Ballard was to any usage of the Leafs logo without payment, & have had dealings with the IOC over the very word "Olympic" pursuant to intellectual property rights. In my case it had nothing whatsoever to do with commercial infringement or advertising. It was purely an artistic issue that eventually got tossed but still. Quite the eyeopener that I didnt really need.

 

[C77]

It's not really a sign but a huge wall banner. The NHL sent a cease and desist letter two months ago asking for him to take it down. He didn't comply, he tried to evade them by painting the logo and the Go Habs Go part.

It just doesn't make sense for the league to be hyper-aggressive about this issue. The guy is most likely supporting the team. Is every sports bar with sports memorabilia going to be copyright infringement?

 

[Made Dan]

****ign stupid. It's free advertisement.

 

[New User Name]

I dont know about that Kitsune. The NHL's not in the habit of launching "nonsense suits". We've got the "Shawarma Guy" & the issues over fake Sharks apparel being sold outside The Tank here today on the threads; last weeks car dealership in Vancouver. Seems to be some linkage, a message being sent from NHL Licensing. I remember from my Toronto days how sensitive Ballard was to any usage of the Leafs logo without payment, & have had dealings with the IOC over the very word "Olympic" pursuant to intellectual property rights. In my case it had nothing whatsoever to do with commercial infringement or advertising. It was purely an artistic issue that eventually got tossed but still. Quite the eyeopener that I didnt really need.

I'd love to see the NHL take the guy to court.
I can see it, a French Canadian Judge who is a Canadiens fan telling Bettman to take his little sorry ass back to NY.

I can see the sweater being displayed as maybe an infringement. But Habs? Not a lawyer here but that's a stretch and the Canucks, isn't that slang for Canadian?

 

[New User Name]

It just doesn't make sense for the league to be hyper-aggressive about this issue. The guy is most likely supporting the team. Is every sports bar with sports memorabilia going to be copyright infringement?

Exactly. All bars/restaurants that are sports oriented have tons of copyrighted material.

 

[Buck Aki Berg]

****ign stupid. It's free advertisement.

I agree with the first sentence, and disagree with the second. It's up to the league to decide how it wants to advertise.

If I download a movie to show to my friends and get nailed for it, I can't say "Hey, these guys never would have seen your movie if not for me. If anything, I should be suing you!"

That said, I think the league needs to relax its rules some wrt use of its logos and trademarks - perhaps an "amnesty period" during the playoffs where use of the logos is permitted in the context of "a show of support", as long as there's nothing to suggest that they are profiting from the usage.