Don't Mess With WPT Poker Group
Published: Friday, July 29, 2005 Online-Casinos.com
DON'T MESS WITH WPT
Poker group successfully sues in defending its brand
There was a clear message in a press release from WPT Enterprises, Inc. this week - the poker group company will continue to successfully defend its intellectual property against all comers.
The creator of the World Poker Tour television show has scored a number of intellectual property litigation victories in recent months, reflecting an aggressive and determined strategy toward intellectual property protection against infringers in order to safeguard and enhance its valuable brands and image.
WPTE General Counsel Adam Pliska revealed several recent outcomes, saying: "World Poker Tour is a globally recognisable brand, and we will aggressively police the misuse of our intellectual property. WPTE will protect its brands and goodwill to sustain the loyalty of our poker fans, television viewers and consumers."
Working closely with its outside counsel, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, and the firm's Intellectual Property practice group in Southern California, WPTE has prevailed in IP matters against a number of defendants, and the list makes for interesting reading:
• Ultimate Poker Challenge TV Show - Copyright and trademark infringement for use of WPTE footage and for superimposing the Ultimate Poker Challenge mark over the World Poker Tour mark.
• 5thstreet.proboards39.com - Copyright infringement of four WPT episodes, posted for "Bit Torrent" downloads.
• Playworldpokertour.net - Trademark domain name infringement matter.
• WagerLogic Ltd. - Trademark infringement relating to four trademark applications filed in Canada (Interpoker World Poker Tour, Wagerlogic World Poker Tour, Interpoker World Poker Tournament, and Wagerlogic World Poker Tournament).
• Mid-Ohio Super Satellite No Limit Championship - Trademark infringement relating to the tournament being falsely billed as an official WORLD POKER TOUR satellite tournament.
• World Poker Productions, Inc. - Trademark infringement for use of a name and a poker-related website, and in connection with the sale of instructional poker videos.
• Wpt.cl and Worldpokertour.cl - Trademark domain name infringement in Chile.
"WPTE has taken action in these cases and secured agreeable settlements and/or court-ordered injunctive relief in order to avoid confusion among poker players, to prevent the proliferation of unauthorized 'knock-off' merchandise, and to protect against the dilution of and harm to its valuable copyrighted material, trademarks and strong brand," noted Robert S. Gerber, a partner in Sheppard Mullin's Intellectual Property practice group.
"The company stands ready to pursue anyone, anywhere that attempts to misrepresent itself as affiliated with WPTE, trade on its valuable name and goodwill, violate its copyrighted material or other intellectual property, or otherwise harm its business interests."
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