Company seeks exclusive right to names at Grand Canyon

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By FELICIA FONSECA

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — To those who know and love the Grand Canyon, the names of its historic lodges are synonymous with the national park itself.

Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Lodge, El Tovar — all bring to mind a place coveted worldwide for its sweeping views, river rapids and history told though layers of geology.

But the fate of those names is up for debate after a longtime Grand Canyon concessionaire applied to trademark them.

Approval of its bid would mean Xanterra Parks & Resorts could charge future concessionaires to use roughly 20 names of the park's most popular properties. It also could walk away with those names, leaving the iconic lodges and other facilities to adopt a new identity.

FULL story at link.



FILE - In this April 13, 2005 file photo people gather outside the El Tovar Lodge that sits just feet from the edge of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. For those who know and love the Grand Canyon, the names of its historic lodges are synonymous with the national park itself. Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Lodge, and El Tovar all evoke images of unlikely civilization deep within the canyon{2019}s cliffs, winding creeks and trails, and grandeur. But the right to use those names is ripe for debate after a longtime Grand Canyon concessionaire applied to trademark them. (AP Photo/Jake Bacon, File)


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20150124/us--grand_canyon-trademarks-2ad0f26503.html

[jtuck004]

1. The people should not enable rentiers. n/t

[mountain grammy]

2. As the landlord, I say NO!

[Fred Sanders]

8. ^^^^^^^^^^^PUBLIC PARKS AND LAND^^^^^^^^^^

[wordpix]

22. as another landlord I say NO, too! Fricking concessionaires who think they own

our national lands and parks---go out and live on the rim and find your own water for a month

[Panich52]

31. Ditto!

[Cleita]

3. Never liked the practice of using concessionaires.

Those facilities should go back to being operated by the parks themselves. I've worked for the concessionaires and they aren't evil but it seems those revenues should be used to improve the parks themselves, not enrich private corporations. The problem seems to be that the money from the parks goes into the general fund instead of remaining with the park. With the concessionaires the part they pay the park stays with the park.

Anyway this is what I was told by a Ranger and if it is in fact why the concessionaires have a chokehold on our parks, it seems our government needs to fix it. No more concessionaires or private lumber companies should be allowed to use our public land for their profit taking.

[onenote]

9. When were these facilities ever run by the parks themselves?

Some of them, like El Tovar, were built before the park even existed as a federal entity. As far as I know, they've always been operated by private companies.

By the way, I'm not suggesting that I support what these companies are doing. The government should fight it and if necessary, demand that the companies give up most of the benefits of any trademark licenses as the cost of getting their concession renewed. Make it clear that if they don't want to agree to it, all they will have is a trademark to the name "El Tovar" but no operations at the Grand Canyon (and the hotel historically named El Tovar would be renamed). The name El Tovar without the hotel at the GC to go with it isn't going to be worth that much.

[Cleita]

10. I worked in the campgrounds and they once were operated by Park services.

Maybe the restaurants and obvious retail business could be private but I don't think anything else should be.

[wordpix]

24. "the concessionaires have a chokehold" & so do the mining & logging cos. in national forests,

along with off-road vehicle groups, ranchers, etc. They are using our national lands and paying a pittance for the use. It's disgraceful.

[Cleita]

28. I agree and although activists try to reverse this, it's an uphill battle

especially when the Forest and the Park services become enablers.

[L0oniX]

4. Assholeness abounds.

[montanacowboy]

5. The Good Old USA

Where Everything is for sale

[CrispyQ]

7. We don't have a democracy, we have an auction.

Saw that on a bumper sticker a long time ago. It's even more true now.

[malthaussen]

25. Good bumoer sticker, I like it.

I've often wondered why we as yet have not seen the "Exxon-Mobile Election of the President of the United States." As yet.

-- Mal

[wordpix]

23. when the parks are for sale is when the US goes totally down the tubes

We're getting close but I don't think even the sheeple would stand for that

[dballance]

6. Another ASSHOLE lawyer raises their head

How could this be more ignorant and frivolous?

[ascap_scab]

11. Welcome to the...

Coca Cola AT&T Fed-Ex Staples Petco Grand Canyon of Citicorp.

[2naSalit]

12. Privatization HO!!!!!!!!

If I were to actually hate something, this would be it.

I live in a place surrounded by public lands and this kind of stuff really ticks me off to no end.

When will the vast majority of this country finally wake the f*ck up and put a stop to it?

[BlueJazz]

13. If they were to name something like "Billy Joe's Burger Palace" some crazy idiotic..

...right-winger would burn the place down.

[gregcrawford]

14. I celebrated New Year's Eve at Phantom Ranch...

... 40 years ago, after a week of exploring the Canyon. The thought of some slimebag corporatist exploiting the Grand Canyon like that makes my blood boil. Would that this concessionaire were but a grease spot on the Kaibab plateau...

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

26. Not the Kaibab plateau ..

soon to be known as the Morgan Stanley Kaibab Plateau.

In the Trump Grand Canyon.

There's nothing like watching sunrise from the Exxon North Rim Visitor Center.

[n2doc]

15. Same crap going on at Yosemite

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Names-of-Yosemite-s-sacred-sites-threatened-by-5989558.php

[Spitfire of ATJ]

16. I can picture these assholes trying to get a percentage from gas station maps.

[Beartracks]

17. American heritage, on sale now at the Grand Canyon.

I wonder if "Grand Canyon" itself is on the trademark app?

I would think that the concessionaire is hired by the Park Service to market the site and facilities.... They're a contractor, and don't get to own the name(s).

I'm happy they've built up a "brand" and generated goodwill and all, but isn't that what they were being paid to do?

========================

[Hestia]

18. Info on the Hot Springs National Park trademark

http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2011/05/26/hot-springs-wins-trademark-fight-with-park-service

It was about the name usage by the City of Hot Springs, which is smack dab in the middle of the park.

Now though, businesses are buying up the old Bathhouses's and I think one is trying to rename of the old Bathhouse's but they are federally protected from such nonsense.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

19. Heck, I don't even like corporations adopting old rock and roll tunes in their product commercials

Public treasures like the names around the Grand Canyon and its history should be off limits to further commercial exploitation.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

27. Yeah, don't "Start Me Up" about old Microsoft Windows 95 commercials

I don't think I cared about Microsoft using the tune, but was somewhat disappointed that the Stones would sell it.

After hiking the main trail and some side trails for a few days, living on granola and water, it was a treat to have a hot dog and beer at the Chase Bank Phantom Ranch.

[Scuba]

20. Welcome to Charles and David Koch Yellowstone Park!

[blkmusclmachine]

21. Ugh.

[dembotoz]

29. i would go 4 calling the ditch--the Bush ecconomy

[kwassa]

30. Kinda like "Reagan" National Airport.

For 57 years it was National Airport.

Most locals still just refer to it as National, thank you very much.

Bill Clinton signed off on the change.

[JonLP24]

32. The more I learn about the world the more I lose hope

Sociopathy and apathy rule the world.

[joshcryer]

33. Good old P3.