In a David-versus-Goliath-like confrontation, this time David doesn’t carry a slingshot—it’s a baseball bat. David, in the form of a minor league baseball team from Montana called the Glacier Range Riders, is up against a Goliath-like Uncle Sam. In this case, the U.S. Department of the Interior wants to slap down the Range Riders in a trademark dispute. The department says the baseball team logo could be confused with that of the National Park Service shield.
Park appreciation leads to trademark dispute
The Kalispell, Montana, team’s front office admits it appreciates the nearby Glacier National Park. When the club applied for trademarks and logos it drew inspiration from the park. A bear rides in a bus that looks a bit like one of the park’s tour buses. A mountain goat wears a ranger hat. And then there’s the one the feds don’t like: an arrowhead-shaped logo with “RR” in the middle.
“The brand is really inspired by the founding of the national park service, the golden age when it was just getting started at the turn of the 20th century,” said Jason Klein, partner with the sports marketing firm Brandiose, whom the team works with. Klein made the statement when the logos were revealed. “What I love about this is that no other brand in all of sports has adopted the national parks as an inspiration.”
“Trades on Opposer’s goodwill”
When the team filed their proposed logos and trademarks with the government trademark office, all was quiet—for a while. Then, last June, the Interior Department cried foul. “Applicant’s mark, which is highly similar to Opposer’s Arrowhead mark, coupled with Applicant’s stated intent to identify with Opposer and Opposer’s Glacier National Park and to trade on Opposer’s goodwill, is likely to falsely suggest a connection with the Federal Government,” wrote some government lawyer in an opposition filing.
While the Glacier Range Riders may be a minor league team, the legal fees involved in the dispute are decidedly major league. Alexa Belcastro confirmed legal fees related to the latest trademark dispute could cost the team up to $500,000, with a final hearing tentatively scheduled for 2025. Belcastro is a Range Riders spokesperson. She told local news outlet the Flathead Beacon, “GRR has been dealing with this for more than a year now and it will be at least another year of our team’s time to defend ourselves in this matter unless the NPS stops its trademark bullying practices.”
Interior Secretary claims ignorance
And how does the government respond to all this? Former Interior Department Secretary, now U.S. Representative, Ryan Zinke put the question up to the Interior Department. Zinke represents Western Montana, and put the fire under current Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. Zinke wanted to know how other agencies, tribes and teams—including the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs—could use an arrowhead in their logos and get away with it, while the little Montana team was under fire. Haaland confessed she didn’t know about the action against the Range Riders. And like any other legal kerfuffle, she couldn’t comment on ongoing litigation.
Legal wrangling will continue through the end of this year. Expert disclosures are due at the end of June. Somewhere down the line the umpire will have his say. It’s not known whether he’ll wear knee and shin guards under his black robe as he sits on the bench.
##RVT1154b
Why is it that those in charge never know what is going on? So, nobody told Haaland what they were doing – even getting approval from the top to go ahead with a lawsuit??? I seriously doubt she wasn’t told by her underlings!
Typical CYA response by Haaland…
Having been in large organizations, it would not surprise me at all if she didn’t know. “Let’s keep this from the boss.” Sure does happen.
Political appointees at federal agencies typically are handsomely paid figureheads who attend functions and go to congressional hearings and read statements prepared by worker-bee federal employees or contractors. In the event of an unavoidable question not on their list of prepared-answers, they offer to send an answer later, or consult with one of the worker-bee bosses who accompanied them and who likely knows something germane.
Thank you, Russ and Tina! 🙂 This looks like some under-employed boss-type wanted some entertainment, so they opposed the downward-pointing arrowhead with interlocking Rs. To assert that the baseball logo will be mistakenly presumed to be tied to the National Forest Service (NPS) is laughably incoherent. 🤔😯 Whoever at NPS who opposed the logo should get back to work and stop wasting their own time and that of others. 🙁 Thanks again and safe travels! 🙂
Another example of a government employee, person(s) in power, throwing their weight around. They would not think of going up against the professional teams and their logos. So they just pick on the little guy knowing they have limited resources. GO, RANGE RIDERS, GO! Good luck!
Federal Government and good will? Now THERE’S an oxymoron – lol!
I have attended many Range Riders games, they certainly are not competing with the National Park Service. RR’s games are very family friendly and whoever in the NPS staff is spearheading this (pun intended), they need to get a life!
Surprised Rolls-Royce hasn’t filed against them yet.
Johnnie Walker RV in Las Vegas was sued by the scotch maker many years ago. Johnnie Walker RV won the suit because oh yeah, his first name is Johnnie and his last name is Walker. RV Trivia.