WWE and Wine Snobs Gear Up for Smackdown over Smackdown

WWE has told the American Wine Foundation, parent of the Wine School of Philadelphia with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, that it is infringing on its copyright by calling one of its wine classes "Sommelier Smackdown."

In a letter to the Wine School of Philadelphia, the WWE told the wine sippers that its use of the word "smackdown" is "likely to create consumer confusion as to WWE's affiliation, sponsorship and/or approval" of the class. Yes, because we all know how similar the demo is of wine snobs and wrestling fanatics.

"We can't go toe to toe with this national multi-corporation," Wallace says, mixing his metaphors as well. Wallace does think he has a case. "Smackdown is not a term they can protect. ... `Sommelier Smackdown' is clearly a parody. It's just a big company trying to bully a small firm." Wallace notes that WWE has hundreds of employees, "and I have five."

A WWE spokesman says it went after American Wine Foundation only after the foundation tried to file a trademark application for "Sommelier Smackdown." "It's not us going after piddly little Joe Blow here," the spokesman said. "We do own the trademark, and we created the term `Smackdown.'"...More?

source: latimesblogs.com