Republican National Committee accuses Spotsylvania official of trademark infringement

[TexasTowelie]

Spotsylvania Supervisor Greg Cebula’s sign includes an elephant the GOP says violates its trademark.

The Republican National Committee is accusing Spotsylvania County Supervisor Greg Cebula, a self-proclaimed “independent conservative,” of trademark infringement because at least some of his campaign signs depict a logo “confusingly similar” to the iconic GOP elephant.

RNC attorney Nathan Groth sent Cebula a cease-and-desist letter dated Wednesday that calls the supervisor’s use of the elephant “deceptive and unauthorized.” The logo “is likely to lead individuals to believe that the RNC has authorized, sponsored, approved, endorsed, or provided financial support to your committee, which it has not,” Groth wrote.

The letter includes a photo of an “Elect Greg Cebula” yard sign picturing a white elephant with three blue stars across its back. The RNC’s elephant logo appears identical, though it is blue and red with three white stars.

Cebula said in a telephone interview that he does not plan to take down the 50 to 75 signs with the elephant, but that he had ordered new yard signs without the symbol. He said he explained that to an RNC attorney in what he described as an “amicable conversation” Thursday.

Read more: http://www.fredericksburg.com/news/local/republican-national-committee-accuses-spotsylvania-official-of-trademark-infringement/article_b24c857b-85b7-5127-b47a-9e9a40a3f8e4.html