The US Army Gets Armistice With NHL Team Over 'Golden Knights' Trademark

The US Army Gets Armistice With NHL Team Over 'Golden Knights' Trademark

5 years ago
Anonymous $RBasgWKaIV

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20180720/10014140275/us-army-gets-armistice-with-nhl-team-over-golden-knights-trademark.shtml

NHL fans will likely still have fresh in their minds the surprising rookie season of the Las Vegas Golden Knights, an expansion team that took the league by storm and lost in the Stanley Cup finals. Readers here may remember the team more for the fairly odd trademark dispute it was in with the -- checks notes -- United States Army, which for some reason opposed the team's trademark application due to the Army's college and paratrooping teams that go by the same name.

At the time, we pointed out that the opposition seemed worrisome for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it seems plainly ridiculous for the Army to suggest that anyone was going to be confused between its college teams, its paratrooping team, and an NHL franchise. Was anyone really worried about the public thinking that the United States military had suddenly gotten into the professional hockey business? But we added to that the gross nature of a branch of the United States military, with a long and storied and proud tradition, dabbling in trademark bullying for apparently no legitimate reason.