Utah Mammoth In Yet Another Trademark Dispute Over Team Name
When the Utah Hockey Club held a fan contest to choose its permanent team nickname, it appeared that Utah Yeti was the overwhelming favorite of many. But a trademark dispute led them to abandon Yeti, and opt for Mammoth.
Now, the club is embroiled in yet another trademark dispute, this time over the name Mammoth (h/t .
The team's ownership has filed a lawsuit against Mammoth Hockey, an Oregon-based hockey equipment bag manufacturer. The two sides have been involved in a "trademark tiff" ever since the former Utah HC announced their new name after last season ended, and the company Mammoth Hockey sent a letter to Ryan Smith and his ownership group, calling for an immediate cease and desist in using the name 'Mammoth'.
Why the Utah Mammoth are in a trademark dispute with another company
The equipment bag company claims that the name and the promotion of it may “constitute trademark infringement, false advertising and unfair competition.” In particular, the company is concerned that hockey fans of other NHL teams might not buy their product if they feel it's associated with the Utah Mammoth club.
However, Smith Entertainment Group told KSL.com, "Utah Mammoth and the NHL believe strongly that we have the right to use the name Utah Mammoth under federal and state law, and that our use will not harm the defendant or its business in any way."
Mammoth Hockey, the Oregon company, has been around since 2014, and both they and the NHL team use mammoth-shaped logos, which the hockey bag maker's lawyers said could "confuse consumers" into thinking the two sides are connected in some way.
But the NHL team says that the bag manufacturer was actually aware of the hockey club's potential name for almost a year, and had no objections. In fact, they claim in their lawsuit that the company's co-founder even sent a message to an employee of the hockey team in April, "saying it would be pretty cool if the two sides collaborated, should the Mammoth name be selected," reports KSL.
Now, the two sides will let a court officiate the dispute to see which side winds up in the sin bin.
