Lawsuit settled over Pendleton trademark
Published 3:18 pm Tuesday, September 10, 2013
PORTLAND – On the eve of the annual rodeo, the Pendleton Round-Up and Pendleton Woolen Mills announced they’ve settled a legal fight over the Pendleton trademark, a dispute that began when the rodeo started marketing a cologne called “Let ‘er Buck.”
The Oregonian reported that attorneys for the Pendleton Round-Up Association filed notice Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland that they reached a settlement.
Details were not released, but Round-Up Association spokesman Randy Thomas says they include guidelines for the two organizations to co-exist in harmony for many years to come.
A judge gave lawyers for the two sides until Oct. 17 to submit details of the agreement.
The Round-Up Association was awarded a trademark on its name in 2011, and put it on the men’s fragrance, which is manufactured by Western Crossings LLC and sells for $69 for 3.4 ounces.
The woolen mills, makers of distinctive plaid shirts and Native American-style blankets, sued. It said the Round-Up’s trademark was confusingly similar to its own.
The lawsuit claimed trademark infringement, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices. It sought unspecified damages.
Lawyers for the clothing maker asked the court to prohibit registration of the Round-Up trademark for fragrances or anything related to products sold by Pendleton Woolen Mills.
The rodeo is scheduled to run Wednesday through Saturday in Pendleton.