"Real USFL" sues new USFL

[Firecop]

Interesting news story about ld USFL folks suing Fox's USFL. Thoughts?

[Tank55]

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2 ... fl-reboot/

[4th&long]

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2 ... fl-reboot/

It ridiculous. They abandoned the rights per the Trademark office. No way Fox (with TSL originally filing) got this far without ducks in row.

>> In a complaint filed Monday in a California federal court, an entity known as “The Real USFL, LLC” seeks an order preventing Fox from using the USFL name and the names and logos of any of the 18 teams that played in the original USFL.

The plaintiff alleges that Fox’s USFL “is an unabashed counterfeit,” and that Fox has taken the league’s name, eight team names, and eight team logos “to which it has no right.”

“It has traded on the false narrative that Fox’s League and USFL teams are the offspring of the original,” the complaint contends at paragraph 4. “They are not.”

The original USFL raised its concerns publicly last year, after Fox announced plans to bring back the USFL. Negotiations occurred, but Fox allegedly made it clear that it “had no intention of discussing the matter further.” Eventually, Fox claimed that the USFL had been defunct for more than 30 years, and that it had abandoned its trademarks.

The lawsuit includes claims for trademark infringement, false advertising, and false association. Ultimately, the case boils down to whether the original USFL retained the rights to the league name and the team names and logos. If the legal system concludes that it does, Fox has a very real problem. <<

Give me a break... this is just a shakedown for $$$. Good luck.

BUT - It got news article! Free publicity.

[Firecop]

Yea, no way Fox and it's legion of lawyers would be that careless; kind of pathetic actually.

[4th&long]

Yea, no way Fox and it's legion of lawyers would be that careless; kind of pathetic actually.

Exactly - well put.

Its like saying a knock off electronics mfg buys the rights to the RCA or Westinghouse name and brands their products as such is illegal - no its not - it happens all the time. Look at arena football for another example. Its Branding - like old brands for clothes etc...

Did you se Csonka's video? Come on Larry - you look ridiculous.

https://twitter.com/kendallbaker/status ... 5264746506

What is talking about ? Get over BS emotional faux plea, the memories? You don't have the rights to the USFL - Csonka, get over it.

[Firecop]

Yes regarding Csonka, it made me feel really sad...

[herns]

Interesting news story about ld USFL folks suing Fox's USFL. Thoughts?

Seems like a cash grab after they let the trademarks die and are upset someone grabbed them

[MGB01]

Is this the same Csonka who helped kickstart the decline of the Dolphins (at least as far as becoming the first team to three-peat) when he signed with the WFL back in 74 talking about loyalty and memories?

I seem to remember a guy (who pled guilty to wire fraud) that laughably tried to get "The New USFL" up and running in the 2010s, Larry around for that?

If all the USFL trademarks were active all this time then why was all the generic football footage used in ads and TV shows from the USFL?

I hereby take the title of worst lawsuit of the year from Major League Wrestling vs WWE and give it to "The Real USFL", sheesh. That's like having Firebert as your commando name.

[johnnyangryfuzzball]

It's interesting that Csonka (representing the Jacksonville Bulls as former GM and minority owner) is the only name publicly attached to this proposal and that none of the others are mentioned. (That said, Steve Ehrhart of Memphis made similar remarks a few months ago, so he's almost certainly involved.)

So who represents the other teams that were still around in 1986?
- Birmingham: probably no clear interest, since Marvin Warner went bankrupt and the city bailed them out (and we all know the city of Birmingham is all in on the new USFL).
- Tampa Bay: the owners who bought the team from John Bassett and Steve Arky went bankrupt, as did the now-deceased Burt Reynolds due to unrelated issues in 1996. Would you believe Loni Anderson might be the Bandits' rightful heir?
- New Jersey: Donald Trump sees the USFL as small potatoes and has bigger issues to face.
- Baltimore: Stephen Ross is in the NFL right now. It's doubtful he has much of an opinion.
- Orlando: Donald Dizney (no relation to the Disneys) and Charles Givens. Givens died in 1998 under a maelstrom of fraud charges. Dizney is still active in business. He might be part of it.
- Arizona: Bill Tatham is still in the business. He might be part of it.

Basically all the owners likely to be part of it are of teams whose brands aren't being used, and all the team brands that are being used either folded before the league went out of business, don't care, or simply have no next of kin.

I'm just curious as to what they're angling to get? To get it shut down? To get an ownership stake?

[GDAWG]

Is this the same Csonka who helped kickstart the decline of the Dolphins (at least as far as becoming the first team to three-peat) when he signed with the WFL back in 74 talking about loyalty and memories?

I seem to remember a guy (who pled guilty to wire fraud) that laughably tried to get "The New USFL" up and running in the 2010s, Larry around for that?

If all the USFL trademarks were active all this time then why was all the generic football footage used in ads and TV shows from the USFL?

I hereby take the title of worst lawsuit of the year from Major League Wrestling vs WWE and give it to "The Real USFL", sheesh. That's like having Firebert as your commando name.

Major League Wrestling vs. WWE was due to WWE allegedly blocking MLW from a major streaming service deal MLW was going to have, which that promotion itself said was going to be game changing for them. It was going to be a deal with the Fox owned TUBI, which MLW had overhyped as game changing.