The UFC has lost it's mind!

[Andrew Green]

PRESS RELEASE FROM WFC

Ultimate Fighting Championship Files Federal Lawsuit against the Worldwide Fighting Championship

Denver CO, January 11, 2006: The Ultimate Fighting Championship and its ownership company Zuffa LLC, has filed a federal lawsuit against the Worldwide Fighting Championship for using the words “fighting,” and “championship,” within its name.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday, January 11, 2006 stating that the use of the terms “fighting,” and “championship,” is a violation of copyright law and somehow misleads fans into thinking that the two promotion companies are somehow related. In addition to the suit, Zuffa LLC, is moving to stop the WFC from using its name as well as stopping the event “Rumble in the Rockies,” slated for January 21, 2006 at the Budweiser Events Center.

The WFC feels that the verb “fighting,” and the noun “championship,” is a generic term used to describe the type of sports event being produced. The term “Fighting Championship,” is the MMA industry’s equivalent to the term “Operating System,” or “OS,” used in the technology industry. Many different companies such as Microsoft Windows XP, and Macintosh OS 10, are companies that use and rely on the term to provide consumers with a description of the service provided.

The unprecedented lawsuit by Zuffa LLC, has far reaching ramifications, and poses the question of whether the UFC will now file against MMA companies like the Japanese super-promotion PRIDE Fighting Championship for the same reason.

This controversial action by Zuffa LLC is the latest of moves intended to alienate the promotion company from the rest of the MMA industry in a negative manner. The first such action came as the UFC banned all online media from covering UFC events except for in-house and mainstream media outlets.

The WFC prides itself on openness and accessibility and will continue encourage and invite all forms of media to cover WFC-related events and promotions. The WFC feels that the lawsuit is completely baseless and a ploy to create an illegal monopoly by claiming ownership of a generic term.
The UFC has been criticized within the MMA industry as of late for its lack of serious championship contenders and lackluster fight cards. UFC has elected to handle this matter with lawsuits against other companies rather than delivering a superior product.

The bottom line is that the WFC feels that this frivolous lawsuit will be dismissed in a timely manner and plans for “Rumble in the Rockies,” are in full force and fans will again fill the Budweiser center. It is obvious that the UFC fears the competition from this relative new kid on the block and the WFC will continue unencumbered, as the fastest-growing MMA promotion company in the country.

Editor's Note: "Reader Gilbert Olsson from Sweden has added that there are 45 MMA organizations that use the name "Fighting Championships"

 

[Zepp]

This reminds me of when Fox News tried to sue Al Franken for his use of the terms "fair" and "balanced" in his book. That lawsuit was literally laughed out of court.

 

[Sapper6]

what a joke.

smart people know better.

neither the UFC nor the WFC represent fighting or championship. more like...nevermind.

 

[arnisador]

I dunno...look at the WWF changing its name to the WWE because of the, uh, WWF.

 

[Andrew Green]

It is a bit of a joke, but then so are a lot of the legal issues around "intellectual property".

 

[ace]

Ultimate Fighting Championship Files Federal Lawsuit against the Worldwide Fighting Championship

Denver CO, January 11, 2006: The Ultimate Fighting Championship and its ownership company Zuffa LLC, has filed a federal lawsuit against the Worldwide Fighting Championship for using the words fighting, and championship, within its name.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday, January 11, 2006 stating that the use of the terms fighting, and championship, is a violation of copyright law and somehow misleads fans into thinking that the two promotion companies are somehow related. In addition to the suit, Zuffa LLC, is moving to stop the WFC from using its name as well as stopping the event Rumble in the Rockies, slated for January 21, 2006 at the Budweiser Events Center.

The WFC feels that the verb fighting, and the noun championship, is a generic term used to describe the type of sports event being produced. The term Fighting Championship, is the MMA industrys equivalent to the term Operating System, or OS, used in the technology industry. Many different companies such as Microsoft Windows XP, and Macintosh OS 10, are companies that use and rely on the term to provide consumers with a description of the service provided.

The unprecedented lawsuit by Zuffa LLC, has far reaching ramifications, and poses the question of whether the UFC will now file against MMA companies like the Japanese super-promotion PRIDE Fighting Championship for the same reason.

This controversial action by Zuffa LLC is the latest of moves intended to alienate the promotion company from the rest of the MMA industry in a negative manner. The first such action came as the UFC banned all online media from covering UFC events except for in-house and mainstream media outlets.

The WFC prides itself on openness and accessibility and will continue encourage and invite all forms of media to cover WFC-related events and promotions. The WFC feels that the lawsuit is completely baseless and a ploy to create an illegal monopoly by claiming ownership of a generic term.
The UFC has been criticized within the MMA industry as of late for its lack of serious championship contenders and lackluster fight cards. UFC has elected to handle this matter with lawsuits against other companies rather than delivering a superior product.

The bottom line is that the WFC feels that this frivolous lawsuit will be dismissed in a timely manner and plans for Rumble in the Rockies, are in full force and fans will again fill the Budweiser center. It is obvious that the UFC fears the competition from this relative new kid on the block and the WFC will continue unencumbered, as the fastest-growing MMA promotion company in the country.



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<


I can't believe Zuffa is suing other Mixed Martial Arts groups
over the Names of Fighting & Championships. They are 3rd Generation owners
of this organization & had nothing to do with inventing it! Do they plan on paying Rorian Gracie & Art Davie for inventing the Ultimate Fighting Championships?
I cannot believe this is going on Talk about Bull *****.:whip:

 

[ace]

To administration, I just noticed that there is another thread about this subject
so IM a day late & about $10.00 short so can you please merger the threads or delete mine.

 

[Jagermeister]

What a waste of tax dollars, tying up courts with stupid crap like this.

 

[celtic_crippler]

What a waste of tax dollars, tying up courts with stupid crap like this.

It's become the "American Way." How petty.

 

[Shirt Ripper]

Business, so often, disrupts enjoyment of sport.

 

[Andrew Green]

Actually they already won:

The case centered on the Worldwide Fighting Championship&#8217;s usage of an Octagon in its events without a license from Zuffa, as well as using an Octagon design as part of its logo; using the term &#8216;Ultimate Fighting&#8217; in advertisements; and using a &#8216;WFC&#8217; logo that was confusingly similar to that of Zuffa&#8217;s UFC logo.

And contrary to what some press releases issued by the offending company would have you believe, the lawsuit had nothing to do with wiping out competing brands or the use of the phrase &#8220;Fighting Championship&#8221;; it&#8217;s about protecting the UFC&#8217;s intellectual properties and keeping newer fans of the sport from being confused by misleading advertising.

&#8220;They&#8217;re using &#8216;Ultimate Fighting&#8217;, and they&#8217;re using an Octagon with fencing over it,&#8221; said White. &#8220;And whether people like it or not, Zuffa owns the trademark to the Octagon, Zuffa owns the trademark to &#8216;Ultimate Fighting,&#8217; and if you illegally use any of them, Zuffa will sue you. End of story.&#8221;

http://www.ufc.tv/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=2145


And as it says in that release, they are required by law to protect all their trademarks or they loose them.

 

[evenflow1121]

I dont think the problem here is so much the words as it was everything else. Had this been a rectangular ring things would have prob turned out different, but once they use championship fighting and they are using an octagon with a fence over it like the article says, I can see where the problem lies.

 

[Andrew Green]

No, by the sounds of things they where advertising themselves as "Ultimate Fighting" as well as using a octagon cage without a license, both of which the UFC owns rights too.

And if they don't go after them for using those, they loose the rights to them.

 

[evenflow1121]

Yeah but fighting and championship are words that are commonly used. I dont think they have so much protection to these words had this other organization not seemed to have resembled the UFC so much, but when you start using the octagon like ring, and the fence to cage it up, and it more and more resembles UFC then you have a problem.

 

[Andrew Green]

Yeah but fighting and championship are words that are commonly used.

From the above:

And contrary to what some press releases issued by the offending company would have you believe, the lawsuit had nothing to do with wiping out competing brands or the use of the phrase “Fighting Championship”;


It was the term "Ultimate Fighting" and the Octagon that got them sued, both of which the UFC owns rights too.

 

[tshadowchaser]

MOD NOTE 2 threads merged per request of posters

 

[Zepp]

Guess they should have used a decagon, huh?

 

[RTKDCMB]

What else are they going to call it? World Arguing Winnership?