Court revives challenge to festival trademark

EAST TAWAS, Mich. (AP) - A dispute over a trademark related to a winter festival in northern Michigan is heading back to court.

A federal appeals court says a judge was wrong to dismiss a lawsuit by Au Sable River Trading Post, which makes custom T-shirts and other merchandise.

The Trading Post is challenging a trademark for the word "Perchville," which is the name of a popular winter festival in the East Tawas area. The Tawas Area Chamber of Commerce says it holds the trademark.

The chamber successfully sued a Trading Post employee over the trademark in 2016. But the appeals court noted Monday that the business wasn't a party in that case.

The court says the Trading Post's interest in selling merchandise related to Perchville is much more significant.

Published: Mon, Oct 30, 2017