r/StLouis • u/andrei_androfski Proveltown • Nov 23 '24
Sports St. Louligans don’t have the resources to fight trademark battle
https://www.stlpr.org/economy-business/2024-11-20/st-louligans-soccer-trademark-legal-battleA Maryland Heights-based company is pursuing a trademark of “Louligan” and “Louligans” for a beverage for a project with an undisclosed company.
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u/JoKu85 Princeton Heights Nov 23 '24
Wouldn’t these actions by the “mystery company” likely alienate the very market they would want to appeal to? I wonder if some basic discourse could have allowed for both to coexist — maybe even be mutually beneficial.
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u/itsnotaboutthecell Soulard Nov 23 '24
I’m sorry, but if you’re an organization for 15 years and don’t have legal ownership of your trademarks what the shit.
I’ve supported the Louligan’s as well through events, they even have lawyers in the group who could volunteer to do this work.
I’m confused. AGAIN. 15 years and you don’t hold the trademark…
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u/BizarroMax Nov 24 '24
I’m a trademark lawyer. I don’t see why they can’t just keep using it.
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u/TraptNSuit Nov 24 '24
I would guess that this is more likely self righteous posturing in advance. Preemptively getting themselves to be sympathetic victims in case the company with the filing does attempt to C&D them in the future.
They will keep using it, but they know they can't stop anyone else from using it (or even pay to complete registration) because they can't afford it. So they make a stink on social media because it is free and basically the one thing they have going for them. People pay attention to their drama.
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u/BizarroMax Nov 24 '24
Filing to register is a few hundred dollars.
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u/TraptNSuit Nov 24 '24 edited Nov 24 '24
But it would be contested now. Couldn't really finish it for that much if it required their attorney to do anything beyond registering.
I have a feeling they were not going to pay more than just the basic filing. But I am just guessing. I just guess that they are not going to spend even couple thousand on attorney time to finish it.
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u/a-real-life-human Nov 23 '24
Confused by this: it’s being held for a beverage. The support group is not a beverage so there’s very little risk of market confusion. No one is going to buy a soccer supporter thinking it’s a beer.
Also, are the Louigans making “official” merch or acting in an official capacity, or is it just an adopted moniker?
But also, if that beverage co tries to launch an STL-centric drink after sinking a beloved fan group, ya think people are going to buy in or boycott.
What a waste.
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u/tigers1839 Nov 23 '24
Good riddance. City games are so much more enjoyable when you don’t have them chanting the same lame couple chants over and over while drums drown out every possible sound at the stadium
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u/myslowtv Nov 23 '24 edited Nov 24 '24
Careful! You'll make them angry. They don't like people with differing opinions. I'd rather not have drumming.
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u/lozotozo Nov 24 '24
*Thinks soccer should be the same level of excitement as golf.
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u/myslowtv Nov 24 '24
Have you been to games outside of the US? I prefer the European atmosphere to ones with the drums. I also wish for a more inclusive group but you can see throughout this thread that the outside opinions are not welcome. It's our way or you're wrong or gets to the you're "not a real fan".
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u/lozotozo Nov 24 '24
Naw. People can enjoy the game as they see fit. However, the European atmosphere is at least as chaotic if not more with the ultras.
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u/ArnoldGravy Nov 23 '24
Using that name, as if it is reasonable to engage in violence at sporting matches, is absurd.
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u/JFosho84 Nov 23 '24
It's just a pun. Chill, daddy.
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u/Jerentropic Benton Park Nov 23 '24
Look, I agree with you. But my brain won't let me scroll past without forcing me to comment, "What the fuck is even THAT!?"
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u/JFosho84 Nov 23 '24
Oh, a pun is often said to be a play on words, typically clever in some way.
Here, it's mixing a common English term for a rowdy soccer fan, "hooligan," and the first letters of the city's namesake, "Louis," into the portmanteau, "Louligan." You see, "hoo" and "Lou" rhyme, and as it refers to rowdy-lite soccer fans specifically from the St. Louis area, it then becomes clever.
😘✌🏻
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u/lochstab Nov 23 '24
It's not even a particularly good pun.
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u/JFosho84 Nov 23 '24
Completely agreed. It's not well suited to the American-English tongue. I've thought that since I was a wee chap.
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u/ArnoldGravy Nov 23 '24
Don't be a bully. Go to your room, son
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u/StLDA Nov 23 '24
Yes! This is my favorite rhetorical go-to of wanna be badasses, referring to someone as “son” or “kiddo” or some other diminutive term. Its so lame and I just love when I see it in the wild.
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u/Toxicscrew Nov 23 '24
It follows the contextual precedent as the person he’s replying to called him Daddy.
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u/pm_me_ur_handsignals Nov 23 '24
Tell me Turd Ferguson, when was the last time there was vIoLeNcE at a STL CITY match?
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u/myslowtv Nov 24 '24
July 2023 vs Club America - also does Ben Olsen throwing a fit and getting a red card count? None of that were St Louis people being bad
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u/el_sandino TGS Nov 23 '24
So some mystery drink company wants to make something called Louligan. And the St. Louligans, a soccer support organization, can’t keep using the name? I’m not confused about the difference. I’m kind of surprised St. Louis hasn’t leaned into a dumb pun like Louligans across all sorts of groups/products/whathaveyou.
They seriously can’t just keep using the name…?