CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) – A trademark lawsuit against the Cleveland Guardians Baseball Company, LLC baseball team brought by the Guardians Roller Derby has been resolved.
When the suit was filed, it claimed, “Two sports teams in the same city cannot have identical names.”
It turns out, they can and will.
Here’s what was sent in a joint statement released Tuesday.
“The Cleveland Guardians Baseball Company, LLC and Guardians Roller Derby are pleased to announce an amicable resolution of the lawsuit filed by Guardians Roller Derby, whereby both organizations will continue to use the Guardians name.”
The Cleveland baseball team formally announced it would change its name to the Cleveland Guardians on July 23.
The Cleveland Guardians Roller Derby filed suit in October, saying that it had used the name for 7 years and had registered the name with the state of Ohio in 2017.
“Economic might, however, does not make legal right. There cannot be two ‘Cleveland Guardians’ teams in Cleveland, and, to be blunt, Plaintiff was here first,” the lawsuit states.
According to the suit, the roller derby team told the baseball team they would be willing to sell the rights but did not feel they were offered a fair amount.
The Cleveland baseball team released a statement at the time saying, “We have been and continue to be confident in our position to become the Guardians. We believe there is no conflict between the parties and their ability to operate in their respective business areas.”
While the courts have received no update on the legal filing that demanded a jury decide who had naming rights, it appears the case will not move forward.
Read the lawsuit in its entirety below.
FOX8.com will continue to update you on the situation.
