John Wayne Trademark Case Dismissed

As I have previously discussed, the family of movie legend John Wayne is in a trademark battle over the word “Duke.” The family’s attempts to market a line of bourbon under the brand name “Duke,” have received backlash from Duke University. The family’s attempt to have the trademark issue resolved in a Santa Ana, California federal district court resulted in the judge dismissing the case for lack of jurisdiction. However, the family is viewing this as just one battle in a larger fight for the rights to the name “Duke.”

See Emily Foxhall, John Wayne Family Loses Round 1 to Duke University in Trademark Fight, Los Angeles Times, Oct. 2, 2014.