ADVERTISEMENTS

If you choose a name that includes the name of your favorite team, or prominently display the logo of that team somewhere on your site, as most fan blogs do, then Major League Baseball may send the lawyers after you.  That is just what happened to a poor hapless Yankee blogger, Moshe Mandel,who put up a blog, together with some friends, to share his Yankees love.  He wasn't looking too cash in on this site.  In fact, there were only a few sidebar ads to try and pay hosting fees; but the Yankees and MLB didn't care.  All they cared about was the purported infringement of their trademark rights.  So, he receives a letter from one of the MLB lawyers demanding that he cease and desist from using the trademarks.

In response, Mandel has removed the Yankee logos from the site but it's still called the Yankee Universe, which the Yankeees also claim.  A copy of the cease and desist letter is here - I suggest reading the whole thing to get the complete flavor of what MLB is doing.  Then, go to the Yankee Universe and read their response.  If that doesen't satisfy the Yankees, and if you believe everything that was in the lawyer's letter, it won't, a very interesting lawsuit is about to take place.  Maintaing a trademark in something as broad as the Yankee Universe seems to me to be a difficult case, especially against a blogger who should receive some working media consideration.  Stay tuned.

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.