dt_3pin Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 (edited) Olympic Guide Runs into Trademark Tussle Randy Boswell, CanWest News Service Published: Friday, June 15, 2007 An accident of geography and the Olympic movement's zealous defence of its name have sparked a bizarre trademark battle that's outraged a Washington state wilderness guide hoping to alert tourists -- including those heading to Vancouver's Winter Games in 2010 -- to the wonders of the nearby Olympic Peninsula. Jason Bausher, author of a new 64-page guidebook titled Best of the Olympic Peninsula, has spent his life exploring and working in the region around Washington's Mount Olympus, a scenic peak west of Seattle. The bewildered but unrelenting Bausher, 30, is refusing to sign legal documents sent by the U.S. Olympic Committee restricting his use of the word "Olympic" in promoting his book and guide business. "I've worked too hard for this thing [the book] to acquiesce." The committee has said in letters to Bausher that it won't stop him from using the name because there are exemptions in Olympic trademark rules recognizing the historic use of the word in the state. But it wants him to abandon his application to trademark "Best of the Olympic Peninsula," place disclaimers on marketing material, avoid the use of well-known Games symbols such as torches and rings, and to limit substantial sales and promotion of his business to within western Washington. The term Olympic refers to the chain of mountains in western Washington capped by Mount Olympus, the surrounding peninsula that juts into the Pacific Ocean, to a large U.S. national park (where Bausher also works as a ranger) and to hundreds of businesses and charitable organizations in the area west of the state capital Olympia -- named for its view of the mountains. Questions about the case to a committee lawyer were passed to the committee's media relations department. No comment was received yesterday. Vanoc, the Vancouver organizing committee for the 2010 Olympics, has had its own run-ins with B.C. businesses, while the federal government has been criticized over legislation that provides the Vancouver Olympic organizers extensive power over the language and symbols associated with the Olympics. Edited June 20, 2007 by dt_3pin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 The committee has said in letters to Bausher that it won't stop him from using the name because there are exemptions in Olympic trademark rules recognizing the historic use of the word in the state. But it wants him to abandon his application to trademark "Best of the Olympic Peninsula," place disclaimers on marketing material, avoid the use of well-known Games symbols such as torches and rings, and to limit substantial sales and promotion of his business to within western Washington.They can stop him from using the Games symbols, but they can't stop him from the trademark "Best of the Olympic Peninsula", because that use is protected. The question is whether he has the money to fight it out in court. The Olympic Committee is flush with cash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmace Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Pizza place next to my house been there for many many many years..maybe 20? Olympia Pizza..they are making him change his name Olympics suck the big one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whirlwind Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 thats soem bull shit. fuck the olympics thier in canada anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 thats soem bull shit. fuck the olympics thier in canada anyway Czech your geography. The Olympics are in Washington. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dt_3pin Posted June 20, 2007 Author Share Posted June 20, 2007 I advise all posters in this thread to edit their posts as follows: thats soem bull shit. fuck the olympics® thier in canada anyway Czech your geography. The Olympics® are in Washington. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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