Could there be a sea-change in the naming of comic related events after this, as a jury sides with San Diego Comic-Con in a lawsuit against Salt Lake Comic Con.
The $12 million dollars in damages SDCC were seeking was drastically dropped down to $20,000 as the jury found that there was ‘no willful infringement of the copyright’ but nevertheless, this opens the floodgates of change as non-SDCC related conventions will surely be thinking of alternate names for their shows.
Here’s what SDCC had to say on the matter.
San Diego Comic Convention has used the Comic-Con trademarks in connection with our comics and popular arts conventions for almost 50 years. We have invested substantial time, talent and resources in our brand resulting in world-wide recognition of the Comic-Con convention held annually in San Diego. The jury today upheld San Diego Comic Convention’s trademarks as valid. The jury also found that Dan Farr Productions, Daniel Farr and Bryan Brandenburg each infringed San Diego Comic Convention’s marks. San Diego Comic Convention respects the decision of the jury. From the beginning all that we asked of the defendants was to stop using our Comic-Con trademarks. Today we obtained a verdict that will allow us to achieve this. For that we are grateful.
