The ex-owners of Hard Rock Park, now Freestyle Music Park, are suing the new owners for trademark infringement and unfair competition. A move that could put Saturday's grand re-opening in danger.
© Freestyle Music Park
Freestyle Music Park's re-opening on Saturday could now be in danger. |
Steven Goodwin, Hard Rock Park's former CEO, and Jon Binkowski, its former chief creative officer, are asking for undetermined damages from a Delaware federal court because they allege the park's new owner, FPI MB Entertainment, has not done enough to restyle the park. They want a preliminary injunction to stop FPI MBE from using what they say is their intellectual property at the park until the case has been resolved.
FPI MBE denies these claims, however, stating that it isn't using the intellectual property that belonged to the owners of Hard Rock Park. Cherie Blackburn, an attorney for the new owners, declined to speculate on the impact a ruling could have on the park's opening until after the judge makes his decision, which could be shortly after the hearing.
The disagreement is over the meaning of that ruling. HRP Creative Services says it clearly shows it owns "much more than the license of just names." A judge ruled that a company founded by Goodwin and Binkowski - HRP Creative Services Co. - still had at least some intellectual property rights over the park's overall layout, theme and design.
Kevin Parks, an intellectual property specialist in Chicago, states that the park will not be able to open if the injunction is granted, although the case seems to be in FPI MBE's favor.
