Maine 'Redneck Olympics' Told To Drop 'Olympics'

Maine 'Redneck Olympics' Told To Drop 'Olympics'

www.wmtw.com

The U.S. Olympic Committee has asked a Maine man to not use the term "Redneck Olympics" ever again.

Harold Brooks was the organizer for the weekend event in Hebron.

Brooks says he received a telephone call Monday from an official at the USOC warning him to change the name of his event or face a lawsuit.

Read more: www.wmtw.com...

(visit the link for the full news article)

Sorry if this has already been mentioned. If so, Mods do your thing.

So the Olympic committee can go in front of congress and have them declare the word "Olympics" as property? According to what Harold Brooks is saying this is exactly what they did.

I'm probably in violation just mentioning the word here.

How can anyone own a word that is thousands of years old?

I think this Harold Brooks guy could always just call it "The Redneck Olympix" just to throw a right hook at them but I understand him standing up and not taking it.

I wonder if I can get congress to give me ownership of my name? Oh yea I forgot, that would take money for bribes.




www.wmtw.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by TheLieWeLive


i too am ignorant as to how some people can fill out a form, pay a few bucks and lay claim to use of a word. a specific phrase i can understand, as when a company like campbell's soup has used mmm mmm good with their product for years and years. logos and company names, that makes sense too.

but TheLieWeLive has a good point. the olympics come from the days when the roman empire was the place to be seen, and that was quite a while back. and there already are all sorts of olympics, for athletes of different abilities and assorted seasons of sporting events. i'm confused.

there is also the laff-a-lympics cartoons from a few years ago. maybe that lawsuit is still tied up in court. poor snagglepuss!

alright i am trademarking "the world has gone stupid and its only getting more stupid"

now noone else can use it and if they do i can sue and make a gazillion bucks off them.

"redkneck olympics" i guess all those "olympic" official seem to be forgetting they stole the word from the greeks.

hmmm are they going to stop using it? no!

bunch of hypocrites.

Lol.

That is my response to how petty this whole situation is. We are in trouble in the United States and more money is being thrown away for lawsuits on NAMES?

I agree, this is just showing the ignorance that is allowed in the world. It literally is all about money and greed. They don't want anyone making money using their same tactics.

reply to post by TheLieWeLive


To do this it has to apply equally. That means no more Special Olympics, no more Senior Olympics or any other. If he challenges this he will win. ACLU would jump all over this. This is just more stupid Progressive madness. Is there anyone they don't hate? Even themselves?

reply to post by LargeFries


They most certainly can, but not a word like this. Once it comes to have a general meaning like this, you cannot license it and win in a dispute.

Some have to be licensed for good reason. For instance "Git-R-Done". There is nothing wrong in that. Stealing a joke or tagline is the same as stealing a car; it has value. Otherwise we would have intellectual chaos.

This is something else however. Nobody owns the word Olympics. The originator is long gone and forgotten and the word has a general meaning in contemporary language. This will only stand if the person does not dispute it as they hope they will. This would be like GM telling Ford they can no longer refer to their product as an Automobile or Car.

The trademarking of the word Olympics may be a little cheesy of them due to how universal that word is. It isn't weird though. Try hosting a little event in your town called "The Pepsi Games" or something and see how long it takes to get a phone call from Pepsi's legal department.

I recall the stories in Utah about little shops and food stands being told the same thing when they dared use "Olympic" in their name during the games there. They take this real seriously, I guess.

Was reading through the comments on the OP's link, and came across this:

upbeatjunk [Profile]
Member
Aug. 10, 2011 9:22am EST
Inappropriate
Unfortunately the supreme court has already upheld an injunction to prevent another group from using the word "olympic". The injunction WAS filed by the USOC and was filed to prevent a group from naming their games the "Gay Olympic Games". I don't know if they would change their mind in this case. See here: www.acluutah.org...

Read more: www.wmtw.com...

Source

Reading through past rulings, I doubt this gentleman has much of a chance of winning in a lawsuit, but it does look like there are some technicalities that may give him a chance.

The Utah Games Network uses the web address www.utahgames.org and includes on their website the phrase “more than gold,” to promote issues associated with the games in the Christian community. The website lists seminars and includes an electronic contribution listing. Users may also buy promotional materials such as videos, T-shirts, and pins. The T-shirts and pins both display the phrase “more than gold.” Because Utah Games Network sells items, the website can arguably fall under the Amateur Sports Act because they are inducing the sale of goods and services. Further, although they do not use the word “Olympic” expressly, the phrase “more than gold” and their website address www.utahgames.org could be considered a “simulation” of the Olympic trademark that tends to cause confusion or falsely suggests a connection with official Olympic activities. A letter from the Patent and Trademark Office of the Department of Commerce attached to the final committee report on the Amateur Sports Act stated that not only the words listed in the act are prohibited. Words that are a simulation or confusingly similar derivation from those listed are prohibited under the Act. However, at least two cases, United States Olympic Committee v. Olymp-Heerrenwaschefabriken, 22 USPQ 497 (Tr. Trial & App. Bd. 1984) and In Re Midwest Tennis and Track Co., 29 USPQ2d 1386 (Tr. Trial & App. Bd. 1993) found that words not expressly contained in the Act are not prohibited.

The United States Olympic Committee and Trademark Infringement

We shall see what happens.....

In response to the Nazism control of the word "Olympics"
I only have this response...

"Olympics,Olympics,Olympics,Olympics,Olympics,
Olympics,Olympics,Olympics,Olympics,Olympics,
Olympics,Olympics,Olympics,Olympics,Olympics,
Olympics,Olympics,Olympics,Olympics,Olympics,
Olympics,Olympics,Olympics,Olympics,Olympics,"

If you don't like it sue me...

(I could use the publicity for my band...ha)

reply to post by Blaine91555


It seems the "Special Olympics" was given permission to use the word "Olympic" by the Olympic Committee back in 1971. How kind of them. It seems they are cunning enough to have avoided this early.

December 1971 The U.S. Olympic Committee gives Special Olympics official approval as one of only two organizations authorized to use the name “Olympics” in the United States.

source

reply to post by EvolEric


If you want band recognition then just rename yourselves "Olympics".

You can have defiance, recognition, and a lawsuit.

reply to post by ZombieJesus

Reading through past rulings, I doubt this gentleman has much of a chance of winning in a lawsuit, but it does look like there are some technicalities that may give him a chance.

You're probably right. I doubt the man has the money to fight this after they drag it on for years and if it didn't get that far I doubt it'll be easy turning back a congressional vote.

Effing ignorance......

Why doesn't the Supreme Court sue Taco Bell for the Taco Supreme? Maybe make Star Wars and Star Trek fight to the death over the use of the word Star.

I would think that adding Redneck to Olympics would clearly illuminate the fact that they are sepparate events.

What the effing eff? I say boycott the olympics. I won't watch it. To hell with it.

I just know that in the Cry-baby Olympics the USOC would take the gold.

I just hate everything about this age.

Mom please flush it all away....