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Documents filed last week in federal court say that a man named Scott D'Avanzo is trying to block Silver Dollar City from using the Mystic River Falls name, claiming it is too similar to the name D'Avanzo gave to the haunted house attraction he created out of his Orange County, California, home in 2013 called Mystic Motel.
Read more from The Springfield News-Leader.
Trademark... I don't think that word means what you think it means.
Jeff - Editor - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog
This makes less sense the more I think about it, and it made zero sense the first time I read it. So like, now it makes less than zero sense. It's currently somewhere around negative fourteen sense.
A. Is a new water ride in Missouri pulling would-be customers from some dude's haunted garage in California?
2. The Washington Mystics just won the WNBA championship. Why isn't he suing them? Or is it a distance thing...like, 1600+ miles is way too close, but that extra 1k is ok?
D. I'm not particularly skilled at enumeration.
It doesn't matter if he's next door to the park. Using one word of a name that common isn't trademark infringement. Trademark law, even if you have a registered trademark, would not apply because the basic legal test is that it could create confusion in the marketplace about similar products. There isn't confusion or similarity here. There's no case. The lawyer who took it is an idiot, and should find a new job if he took it on contingency.
Jeff - Editor - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog
I thought the name of the guy was familiar. I found out why:
Scott, who brands ideas for a living working on games for casinos. (source)
My past career was in the casino industry. After poking around Facebook and Twitter (his website is down), I remember his "games" - never picked up at any of my casinos.
Looks like the individual sent a letter to the park claiming the park couldn't use the name. The park filed the suit. At least according to several sources. Doesn't really change the merits of anything though.
Dumbass. I'd counter-sue for legal costs just on principle.
Jeff - Editor - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog
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