Author Topic: CCI vs. SLCC  (Read 18583 times)

Offline alyssa

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CCI vs. SLCC
« on: July 30, 2014, 11:08:16 AM »
as many of you have already seen, during sdcc CCI gave notice to Salt Lake Comic-Con

here's the cease & desist letter

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Offline DaveG

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Re: CCI vs. SLCC
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2014, 11:13:12 AM »
Interesting.  I wonder if this is a special case or if they'll be going after anyone else who uses "Comic Con" to advertise their convention.  Wizard World does that for all of their conventions.  While many long time attendees still call it Wizard World Chicago, it is advertised as Chicago Comic Con.

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Re: CCI vs. SLCC
« Reply #2 on: Today at 01:46:19 AM »

Offline YouThinkMeMad

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Re: CCI vs. SLCC
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2014, 11:13:59 AM »
Um, what?

So, will they come after New York Comic-Con? Baltimore Comic-Con? Boston Comic-Con?

Offline Andrew Costa Mesa

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Re: CCI vs. SLCC
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2014, 11:18:00 AM »
So does that mean New York can't call themselves "Comic Con" as well?  What about the ones run by Wizard World?
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Offline alyssa

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Re: CCI vs. SLCC
« Reply #4 on: July 30, 2014, 11:23:43 AM »
further reading
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the following article by Bleeding cool gives some possible incite as to the reasoning for the C&D letter
Quote
As Comic-Con International kicks into full gear, its lawyers have sent a letter to Salt Lake Comic Con demanding that organizers stop using the term "Comic Con."

In the July 25 cease-and-desist letter, attorney Peter K. Hahn asserts that Comic-Con International holds the trademarks to "Comic-Con," "Comic Con International" and "Anaheim Comic-Con," and that Salt Lake Comic Con is infringing on those rights.

Salt Lake Comic Con organizers responded today with a press release characterizing the notice as a challenge to "hundreds of comic conventions around the country and the world already using the words comic con for their show."

However, the Comic-Con International letter is a more narrowly focused, insisting that the Utah convention, which drew about 70,000 people to its inaugural event in September and reportedly more than 100,000 to its April spinoff FanXperience, is targeting the same exhibitors and attendees as the San Diego show.

The letter states that fans seeing the "use of 'Comic-Con' in connection with your convention will incorrectly assume that your convention is in some way affiliated with SDCC and its Comic-Con convention. [...] In fact, we are aware of multiple instances where persons have incorrectly believed that the Salt Lake Comic Con convention was an SDCC event."

It also cites a "skinned" vehicle being used to promote Salt Lake Comic Con this week "in the vicinity of" Comic-Con International, calling it "clear evidence that you are blatantly and willfully attempting to confuse attendees, exhibitors and fans." Hahn demands that organizers immediately discontinue use of "Comic Con," "Comic-Con," "Comiccon" or any other "confusingly similar variation," and suggests they instead go with FanXperience or Salt Lake Comic Convention.

Salt Lake Comic Con organizers pledged to fight what they called a "frivolous action."

“San Diego Comic-Con attempted to trademark ‘Comic Con’ in 1995 and the application failed," co-founder Bryan Brandenburg said in a statement. "Furthermore, precedence for the mark ‘Comic Con’ was set when Denver Comic Con received a trademark for their convention on November 26, 2013. Nobody owns the words ‘Comic Con’ (short for comic convention) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office has already ruled on this.”

However, it's important to note that a search of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office does show San Diego Comic Convention, the corporate name of Comic-Con International, as the registrant of "Comic-Con," "Anaheim Comic-Con," "San Diego Comic Con" and "Comic Con International," among other marks.

“We are the registered owner of the Comic-Con trademark and confusingly similar variants," David Glanzer, Comic-Con International's director of marketing and public relations, said in a statement to CBR News. "When confusion arises with regard to our name, we are obligated to protect our mark.”
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Offline YouThinkMeMad

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Re: CCI vs. SLCC
« Reply #5 on: July 30, 2014, 11:29:18 AM »
So, as long as you stay away from San Diego, they won't send you a letter?

Offline alyssa

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Re: CCI vs. SLCC
« Reply #6 on: July 30, 2014, 11:41:43 AM »
it does seem tied to the use of a slcc skinned car at sdcc.  i hardly go out side of the con & saw it driving up the main road. So it was prominent.

but i found the interesting thing was the fact that lay-folks were under the impression slcc was a cci convention.  It seems as tho there might be something more to it then we know.  <---wild guess on my part

I'd also further say SLCC seems to be rather giddy after it's first con last year & maybe making some rookie oversteps.  If so it'd follow the BCC. NYCC, etc all, have nothing to worry abt
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Offline TardisMom

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Re: CCI vs. SLCC
« Reply #7 on: July 30, 2014, 11:45:43 AM »
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So, as long as you stay away from San Diego, they won't send you a letter?

That what it seems like.  I don't see how they can keep SLC from using the term "comic con", it is simply a contraction of comic convention.  The promotional vehicle is a no-no, though.

Offline jujubaSD

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Re: CCI vs. SLCC
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2014, 11:50:24 AM »
NYCC had nothing to worry about b/c people know they are separate. The problem is as bleeding cool states, that SLCC is capitalizing off of SDCC/CCI. CCI has already failed in previous cease and desist requests b/c other conventions say Comic Con rather than Comic-Con. However, this seems far more specific. As SLCC is advertising in a manipulative way


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Offline DaveG

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Re: CCI vs. SLCC
« Reply #9 on: July 30, 2014, 11:53:04 AM »
Agree, SLCC seems to be courting the same vendors and attendees as SDCC, which is forcing SDCC to respond.  Using the vehicle sort of overstepped the bounds and does seem like direct infringement.  I don't think anyone just using Comic Con in their name will be sent the same letter.

Offline YouThinkMeMad

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Re: CCI vs. SLCC
« Reply #10 on: July 30, 2014, 11:56:12 AM »
I've seen it here and on Twitter/FB, that people already think that "Random Con" is part of CCI. Just go on their FB and you'll see people asking "When are you bringing comic-con to my city?" So the "confusion" isn't anything new.

Offline Transmute Jun

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Re: CCI vs. SLCC
« Reply #11 on: July 30, 2014, 11:56:33 AM »
Very interesting! Thank you for posting the entire letter. I am surprised to see CCI being this aggressive, but I can also understand that they have to draw a line somewhere, else other cons will try to do something similar.

It does seem to be related to the direct 'targeting' of the same exhibitors and attendees

Offline jujubaSD

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Re: CCI vs. SLCC
« Reply #12 on: July 30, 2014, 12:01:05 PM »
I can't remember their previous cease and desist that failed. I remember reading the article in 2013 or early 2014


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Offline mattnathaniel

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Re: CCI vs. SLCC
« Reply #13 on: July 30, 2014, 01:06:30 PM »
Anaheim Comic-Con?

Offline jujubaSD

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Re: CCI vs. SLCC
« Reply #14 on: July 30, 2014, 02:57:19 PM »
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Anaheim Comic-Con?

LOL that was my reaction too. I presume it's WonderCon

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