City of Sturgis and SMRI Trademark use of STURGIS Declared Invalid By Court

April 18, 2019

Rushmore Photo and Gifts has prevailed in a decade long court fight over the use of the term "Sturgis" as it relates to motorcycles and motorcycle related products.

First affirmed in November of 2018, and later ruled on February 14, 2019, Judge Jeffrey Viken in the US District Court, District of South Dakota, Western Division stated:

“The record does not support a finding that SMRI owns, produces, or operates the rally, or does anything else that might allow it to acquire ownership over the rally itself or its intellectual property. The record indicates to the contrary that the rally is a pluralistic endeavor.”

What this means for vendors, suppliers and local business owners in the Black Hills area is the City of Sturgis and the entity they created, SMRI, (Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Inc) which licensed the logo to Hot Leather for distribution and collection of licensing fees, can no longer force anyone to buy from Hot Leathers or pay a licensing fee for the use of "Sturgis" or "Sturgis Motorcycle Rally," or "Sturgis Rally and Races" on apparel or any other product sold to the general public.

Additionally it would be assumed that the lawsuit and settlement against the rally in Sturgis Kentucky, that was started in 1993 and called "Little Sturgis" is no longer enforceable. Little Sturgis changed it's name to "Kentucky Bike Rally" after it was sued by SMRI.

The South Dakota Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was born from the Black Hills Motor Classic started by local Indian dealer J.C. (Clarence) “Pappy” Hoel in 1938. Since its inception, private area businesses throwing events such as races, concerts and rides have made, and continue to make, the Sturgis Rally what it is today.

Local Sturgis area businesses are joining Rushmore Photo and Gifts in celebrating the appellate court's decision.

On the Buffalo Chip's website the celebration was apparent.

"For the first time in more than a decade, RPG and other businesses will be able to produce goods in 2019 using the now defunct Sturgis trademark. RPG may have been the ones to bring and stick with the lawsuit, but they won’t be the only ones reaping the rewards of their time spent in court.

As Judge Viken stated in his February 14, 2019 ruling, “The terms STURGIS, STURGIS RALLY & RACES, and STURGIS MOTORCYCLE RALLY when used by the defendants, or by anyone else for that matter, do not infringe on SMRI’s marks.”

We all owe Rushmore Photo & Gifts a debt of gratitude for having the backbone to stand up to false claims and for helping to clarify the obvious that everyone knew to be the truth.

See the full ruling from the US District Court, District of South Dakota, Western Division filed February 14, 2019 here.

Back to blog

75 comments

https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-mecca
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/home
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-jedaah-elhamdniah
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-yanbu
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-najran
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-Jizan
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/jazan
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/taif
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/moversjeddah
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-abha
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-elahsa
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-elkhobar
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-elkharj
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-elmadina-elmnowara
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-eljubail
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-elqassim
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-hafrelbatin
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-elbaha
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-jeddah
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-dammam
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-taif
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-burydah
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-tabuk
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-hail
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-khamis-mushait
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/movers-rabigh
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/madina
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/mecca
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/dammam
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/jeddah
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/ahsa
https://sites.google.com/view/movers-riyadh/cleaning-mecca

http://fullservicelavoro.com/ شركة ريلاكس لنقل العفش والاثاث
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/07/transfer-movers-taif-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بالطائف
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/08/transfer-movers-riyadh-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بالرياض
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/08/transfer-movers-jeddah-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بجدة
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/01/transfer-and-movers-furniture-mecca/ شركة نقل عفش بمكة
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/07/transfer-movers-madina-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بالمدينة المنورة
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/07/transfer-movers-khamis-mushait-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بخميس مشيط
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/09/transfer-movers-abha-furniture/ شركة نقل اثاث بابها
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/07/transfer-movers-najran-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بنجران
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/16/transfer-movers-hail-furniture/ ِشركة نقل عفش بحائل
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/16/transfer-movers-qassim-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بالقصيم
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/02/02/transfer-movers-furniture-in-bahaa/ شركة نقل عفش بالباحة
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/13/transfer-movers-yanbu-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بينبع
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/18/%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%86%d8%a7-%d9%86%d9%82%d9%84-%d8%b9%d9%81%d8%b4-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%87%d8%a7/ دينا نقل عفش بابها
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/13/%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AB%D8%A7%D8%AB-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%85-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%AA/ نقل الاثاث بالمدينة المنورة
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/12/%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AE%D8%B5-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%81%D8%B4-%D8%A8%D9%85%D9%83%D8%A9/ ارخص شركة نقل عفش بمكة
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/07/transfer-movers-elkharj-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بالخرج
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/01/07/transfer-movers-baqaa-furniture/ شركة نقل عفش بالبقعاء
http://fullservicelavoro.com/2019/02/05/transfer-furniture-in-jazan/ شركة نقل عفش بجازان

شركة كيان لنقل العفش بالرياض والمدينة المنورة وجدة ومكة والطائف والدمام تقديم لكم دليل كامل لشركات نقل العفش بالمملكة العربية السعودية
https://mycanadafitness.com/ شركة كيان لنقل العفش
https://mycanadafitness.com/forum.html منتدي نقل العفش
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnitureriyadh.html شركة نقل اثاث بالرياض
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturejaddah.html شركة نقل اثاث بجدة
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnituremecca.html شركة نقل اثاث بمكة
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnituretaif.html شركة نقل اثاث بالطائف
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnituremadina.html شركة نقل اثاث بالمدينة المنورة
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnituredammam.html شركة نقل اثاث بالدمام
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturekhobar.html شركة نقل اثاث بالخبر
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnituredhahran.html شركة نقل اثاث بالظهران
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturejubail.html شركة نقل اثاث بالجبيل
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnitureqatif.html شركة نقل اثاث بالقطيف
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnitureahsa.html شركة نقل اثاث بالاحساء
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturekharj.html شركة نقل اثاث بالخرج
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturekhamismushit.html شركة نقل اثاث بخميس مشيط
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnitureabha.html شركة نقل اثاث بابها
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturenajran.html شركة نقل اثاث بنجران
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturejazan.html شركة نقل اثاث بجازان
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnitureasir.html شركة نقل اثاث بعسير
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturehail.html شركة نقل اثاث بحائل
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnitureqassim.html شركة نقل عفش بالقصيم
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnitureyanbu.html شركة نقل اثاث بينبع
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnitureburaidah.html شركة نقل عفش ببريدة
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturehafralbatin.html شركة نقل عفش بحفر الباطن
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurniturerabigh.html شركة نقل عفش برابغ
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnituretabuk.html شركة نقل عفش بتبوك
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnitureasfan.html شركة نقل عفش بعسفان
https://mycanadafitness.com/movingfurnituresharora.html شركة نقل عفش بشرورة
https://mycanadafitness.com/companis-moving-riyadh.html شركات نقل العفش بالرياض
https://mycanadafitness.com/cars-moving-riyadh.html سيارات نقل العفش بالرياض
https://mycanadafitness.com/company-number-moving-riyadh.html ارقام شركات نقل العفش بالرياض
https://mycanadafitness.com/company-moving-jeddah.html شركات نقل العفش بجدة
https://mycanadafitness.com/price-moving-jeddah.html اسعار نقل العفش بجدة
https://mycanadafitness.com/company-moving-mecca.html شركات نقل العفش بمكة

75 comments

Leave a comment