Olympics Committee Forces Oregon Restaurant To Change Its Name

Trademark

from the the-trigger-happy-thug-with-the-IP-boomstick dept

Fri, Mar 6th 2015 12:40pm — Tim Cushing

The next Olympic games may be more than a year away but that's not stopping the International Olympic Committee from forcing a business -- located nowhere near any upcoming Olympic site and with more than a half-decade of uncontested use -- to change its name. [h/t to Techdirt reader The Baker]

In just six years, Portland, Oregon's Olympic Provisions has gone from a small restaurant with an attached charcuterie facility to a major brand complete with Portlandia immortality and an upcoming cookbook. And now it has to change its name, thanks to a cease-and-desist notice from the International Olympic Committee, the organization that coordinates the Olympic Games. OP co-founder/meat-maker Elias Cairo says OP's two restaurants (one of which has been a longtime member of the Eater Portland 38) and meat department will soon re-brand into Olympia Provisions, bypassing the trademark dispute by altering one letter.

The former Olympic Provisions says it was caught up in the IOC's periodic "random sweeps" -- which sounds an awful lot like the sort of behavior one district court memorably called out when dealing with a trademark bully.

The owner of a mark is not required to constantly monitor every nook and cranny of the entire nation and to fire both barrels of his shotgun instantly upon spotting a possible infringer.

But that is very much the way of the IOC, and it monitors every nook and cranny of the entire world with its fingers on the trigger. The cease-and-desist it sent to the former Olympic Provisions was so overwrought that the owners first thought it was a joke. But a discussion with its lawyers made it clear it wasn't. The IOC's tactics would be laughable if only they weren't so often successful and damaging to the businesses on the receiving end.

"We start looking around at everything we've branded, from packaging to restaurants to delivery trucks," Cairo says of the costs to change OP's name. "To put a dollar figure on it would be impossible."

The IOC doesn't care about the source of the business names it finds infringing. It will make exceptions for businesses located around geographic features that already carry the name "Olympic," pretty much limiting US use of the term to the Washington area. And the local arm of the IOC -- the United States Olympic Committee -- will step in if the marketed goods bearing an Olympic brand are sold outside of that region.

Olympic Provisions, however, is named for a historic building -- something the IOC won't permit, although it has "graciously" allowed the business a little time to make the change.

For Olympic Provisions — which was named after the building that houses its first restaurant, Portland's historic Olympic Mills building — they've reached a deal with the IOC that will allow them to slowly phase out the old OP labels and branding. (The short-term solution involves simply stamping a letter "A" on top of the existing labels; the OP team expects to be completely rebranded by this summer.)

The IOC claims it fears trademark dilution when defending its aggressive domination of the word "Olympic," but only comes off as unhinged and paranoid. But most entities don't have the funds to engage in legal warfare with this brand giant, so it often needs nothing more than a threatening letter to assure compliance.

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Filed Under: intellectual property, olympic provisions, olympics
Companies: international olympic committee, olympic provisions, us olympic committee

36 Comments

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DigDug, 6 Mar 2015 @ 12:47pm

Ban the Olympics world-wide, end them...
They are a complete joke, making billions off of the injuries and deaths of the competitors.

F' em, F' em all - just strap some lead around the rotund waists of the IOC members, drop them into a vat of boiling acid lined with razor blades, grind up what's left, and use it to mix with the concrete to make the memorial for what "USED" to be something good, which is now just a cash grab by a bunch of psychopathic sycophants.
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- Anonymous Coward, 6 Mar 2015 @ 1:35pm
  
  Re: Ban the Olympics world-wide, end them...
  whoah!whoah! tiger..........whats with the going easy on them business
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Mar 2015 @ 12:48pm

"Monitor..."
...The owner of a mark is not required to constantly monitor every nook and cranny of the entire nation...

How about the entire world? Last time I checked the IOC was NOT based in the US!
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Mar 2015 @ 1:08pm

Alternate name suggestion
I propose he change the name to OOOOOlympic Provisions with interlocking O's.
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Mar 2015 @ 1:15pm

WTH
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David, 6 Mar 2015 @ 1:18pm

Ban Pindar!
Obviously something like the "Olympic Odes" of Pindar have been written and titled in blatant disregard of the IOC's trademarks.

It is highly confusing to sell them under the title "Olympic Odes", suggesting a connection to the International Olympic Committee.
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John Fenderson (profile), 6 Mar 2015 @ 1:20pm

The viciousness of the IOC
That this sort of thing from the IOC has become routine is why I make it a point to avoid purchasing anything from companies that have marketing tie-ins with the Olympic Games.

I have a fervent wish that the word "Olympics" will eventually become toxic enough that they have problems finding sponsors. I know it's very unlikely, but one can dream.
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- art guerrilla (profile), 6 Mar 2015 @ 1:43pm
  
  Re: The viciousness of the IOC
  1. they have been caught in endless bribery schemes, they are not actors with clean hands...
  2. apparently, countries are slowly waking up to the fact that -similar to major sports teams who extort new stadiums, etc- bidding on/getting the olympics is a MONEY LOSING scheme, and only a few insiders, contractors, etc derive much of any benefit on the backs of mere citizens who finance the insane money-eating 'villages' and venues...
  hosting the olympics means you LOSE money, you are STUCK with bonds for decades, and the proposed 'villages' and venues become white elephants that invariably do NOT pay off in any way...
  
  as digdug so colorfully put it initially, losing a lot of interest in the sham sports, the bullshit propaganda, etc...
  LOVE the idea of the olympics, but the implementation is horrid...
  WHY wouldn't they just have ONE permanent venue for summer olympics, and ONE permanent venue for winter olympics ? ? ?
  what would be wrong with that ? ? ?
  oh, you mean they couldn't fleece new marks every four years, i see your point... *snicker*
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- Anonymous Coward, 6 Mar 2015 @ 1:49pm
  
  Re: The viciousness of the IOC
  Olympics sure is toxic for me.
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Nigel (profile), 6 Mar 2015 @ 1:22pm

Something has to be done about this shit. I frankly don't have the words. Its simply not ok to screw with those hippies over this.

Hoping you have Haulin Oats in the hopper lol...

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hall-and-oates-suing-granola-company-over-haulin-oats-2015030 5
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Mar 2015 @ 1:32pm

Thats not right
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Anonmylous, 6 Mar 2015 @ 1:37pm

I really hope someone hears this story and offers to take it as a pro-bono case, the IOC is ripe for a massive black eye with all the negative coverage the last decade about their bullshit. They are close to being on their last legs and I won't cry when they are gone. Something else will replace them, perhaps multiple associations for the advancements of sports individually.
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Mar 2015 @ 1:41pm

IOC too OP
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geoffreyps (profile), 6 Mar 2015 @ 1:50pm

Blame Congress
I'm trying to find the specifics, but my understanding is that congress gave the IOC a much broader trademark for the words "Olympic" and "Olympian" through a special bill. It has been quite annoying to businesses in Washington located on the Olympic Peninsula, near the Olympic National Park, with a state capitol of Olympia.
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- Anonymous Coward, 6 Mar 2015 @ 2:03pm
  
  Re: Blame Congress
  Has Washington State received a Cease and Desist order yet to end referring to that capitol city with a trademarked term. The IOC is obviously failing to protect the trade mark and should loose all control of it in the future.
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- Anonymous Coward, 6 Mar 2015 @ 4:02pm
  
  Re: Blame Congress
  I'm trying to find the specifics...
  
  36 U.S. Code § 220506 - Exclusive right to name, seals, emblems, and badges
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- musterion (profile), 7 Mar 2015 @ 7:18am
  
  Re: Blame Congress
  Not a problem, really, the IOC will make the State of Washington change all the names. Oh yeah, heaven help anyone who tries to revive "Olympia Beer" brand. The so-called "Olympic Movement" is a farce, and nothing but a means to get money, sort of like all the other international sports governing bodies like FIFA (football), FIA (auto racing), UCI (cycling). Generaly a bunch of self-interested bureaucrats (and generally European) who mulct these sports for all they are worth.
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connermac725 (profile), 6 Mar 2015 @ 1:51pm

Any variant of the word
wonder what would happen if I opened one called Olympic assholes wonder if they would get it
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- David, 7 Mar 2015 @ 12:21am
  
  Re: Any variant of the word
  That's probably more a problem of identity theft than trademark.
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Mar 2015 @ 2:17pm

Blame the source
Well, this obviously all goes back to those dirty IP thieves that named their building Olympic Mills. Not that they ever heard of "IP", but you can bet if they were still in business, and doing well, the IOC would be going after them instead.
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Mar 2015 @ 2:29pm

???
English isn't my first language but doesn't "Olympic Provisions" more or less mean "food from Olympia"? How the peep does this have anything to do with the Olympic games?

If I were the restaurant I'd start importing one piece of food made in that region/village.
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J.R., 6 Mar 2015 @ 3:23pm

IOC
The IOC has turned the O [censored] games into a grotesque caricature of what they once were. Haven't bothered to watch any of them in the last 20 years, maybe over 30 years.

May Olympian Zeus and they that dwell beneath the earth visit upon the IOC just retribution for its hubris.
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Mar 2015 @ 3:55pm

Olympics have lost so much value anyway.
This is what happens when your brand has lost so much value, all you can do is this to try to retain value.

I can say that I have not seen any olympic event in over 20 years. It was valuable when we didnt have access to world wide competition years ago, but now it is just redundant.
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- LVDave (profile), 7 Mar 2015 @ 7:28am
  
  Re: Olympics have lost so much value anyway.
  The last time I paid any significant attention to the Olympics was in 1972, when I was in the US Army, stationed in Germany, and got a ticket to an event, which just happened to be scheduled on the day the terr-ists shot up the place... Since then, I could not care less about them.. And I get the feeling that this "don't care" attitude is becoming more prevalent, especially with these over-the-top IOC antics...
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Mary Ann Ludwig, 6 Mar 2015 @ 3:59pm

IOC Tomfoolery
I wonder if the IOC will demand that the Olympic Rain Forest be renamed? The Olympic Peninsula in Washington state? Olympic National Forest? Olympic College? Can you get any more stupid and intrusive? Who died and made them the arbiter of names that might (but probably don't) infringe on the Olympic brand?
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Mar 2015 @ 4:31pm

Olympia Pizza took them on and won...even keeping their really obvious logo. http://olympiapizza.com/About.html
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Mar 2015 @ 5:24pm

I'm not really a sports fan, but I'd pay good money to see lawyers from the IOC and FIFA fight to the death.
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- djl47 (profile), 6 Mar 2015 @ 6:02pm
  
  Re: IOC versus FIFA
  John Oliver did a wonderful rant about FIFA before the World Cup. Maybe we should ask him to do one on the IOC and the Olympics.
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bdj, 6 Mar 2015 @ 5:31pm

The Olympics suck
They bring no value, the athletes get nothing, local communities are often left with new unfair laws once the IOC has rolled through, they damage local economies, they violate citizens' rights, they don't pay taxes, they support heavy-handed policing and are simply toxic to society... I could keep going but why bother? Nothing will change because the world is filled with dumbed down consumers who just don't give a shit.
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Mar 2015 @ 6:43pm

Déjà vu
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Rapnel (profile), 6 Mar 2015 @ 7:28pm

IOC
Insane Olympic Cuntery
rings of ass
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Mar 2015 @ 8:05am

Suits of Olympic propotions
Sounds like a total mess of Olympic proportions.
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Padpaw (profile), 7 Mar 2015 @ 8:30am

How is it legal for a group outside of the USA able to force a US company to change their name simply because they don't like it.

What's next the white house will have to be renamed because some major foreign corporation has that trademarked?
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Yes, I know I'm commenting anonymously, 8 Mar 2015 @ 1:15am

Note to DA: Force the IOC to start selling food in Portland.
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Mar 2015 @ 10:02am

A slave call girl from Sardinia named Gedophamee was attending a great but as yet unnamed athletic festival 2500 years ago in Greece.

In those days believe it or not the athletes performed naked.

To prevent unwanted arousal while competing, the men imbibed freely on drink containing saltpeter (opposite effect to Viagra) before and throughout the variety of events.

At the opening ceremonial parade Gedophamee observed the first wave of naked magnificent males marching toward her and she exclaimed: " OH!! Limp Pricks!"

Over the next two and a half millennia that morphed into " Olympics".
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Mar 2015 @ 4:26am

Olympic Games is a farce.
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