Vegas Golden Knights, US Army look to settle trademark dispute
The Golden Knights are trying to make peace with the U.S. Army.
The two sides have been embroiled in a trademark dispute over the name “Golden Knights” and the primary colors of gray, gold and black. But after the Army filed its complaint with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Jan. 10, the NHL team filed a settlement motion with the patent office’s trademark trial and appeal board on Jan. 25.
The motion gives Black Knight Sports and Entertainment, the hockey team’s company, 90 days to resolve the issues with the Army. The team had until Monday to initially respond.
“I’ve always felt it was going to work out,” Knights owner Bill Foley said Tuesday. “We’re trying to form a joint-use agreement where both sides can continue to have their name.
“I think what happened was the Department of the Army, where this all started, was moving in a direction before it was thought through and it got into a bureaucratic situation.”
The Army contends that the hockey team’s use of Golden Knights as a trademark causes confusion with its parachute team, also known as the Golden Knights. The NHL team has refuted the notion, saying there is no confusion between a professional hockey team that plays indoors and a parachute team that performs outdoors.
The Knights have said they aren’t in any danger of having to change their nickname, logo or colors.
“We have great respect and admiration for the Army,” said Foley, a 1967 graduate of West Point. “We would never do anything intentionally to hurt the Army or its image.
“But I’ve been confident we’d get everything resolved, and I’m glad to see it’s heading in that direction.”
While the Knights might reach an agreement with the Army, the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York, which uses the “Golden Knights” nickname for its athletic teams, is still deciding whether to oppose the NHL team’s trademark. The school has an extension filed with the patent office.
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Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow @stevecarprj on Twitter.
