Overview

• The Utah Mammoth filed a declaratory judgment suit in U.S. District Court on Aug. 1 seeking a ruling that its name and logo do not infringe Mammoth Hockey’s trademark rights.
• Mammoth Hockey LLC, founded in 2014, says it will vigorously defend its decade-old common-law trademark and warns that consumers are likely to confuse the two brands.
• The manufacturer ships its hockey equipment bags to forty-seven states, citing nationwide recognition in its cease-and-desist letter to the NHL franchise.
• Smith Entertainment Group’s fan-driven naming process engaged over 850,000 participants but its Mammoth name and logo still await U.S. Patent and Trademark Office approval.
• The court’s decision will determine whether the NHL team can secure federal registration of its Ice Age–inspired branding despite the ongoing challenge.