Chroniq Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 A good friend of mine is a member of the Williamsburg brew skee-ball league. They have tournaments at The Full Circle Bar in Brooklyn. Skee Ball Inc. has decided to sue the bar for using their name. Via The New York Post- Skee Ball, the game generations of Brooklyn kids grew up playing on the Coney Island boardwalk, has gone big league — with teams of lawyers turning it into a federal case. For those who didn’t grow up in Brooklyn, the game resembles bowling, but players roll balls up an incline and aim for holes instead of pins. The equipment was made on Coney Island back in 1929, and although Skee Ball Inc. moved, it’s still the only manufacturer. The game — which some people still call Brooklyn’s national sport — has taken off, and machines can be found in restaurants around the country. It also became a fad with hipsters — including the ones who colonized Williamsburg, home of the Full Circle Bar. The watering hole hosts its own league and proclaims itself the “National Home of Brew-Skee Ball.” Now Skee Ball Inc. is claiming trademark infringement and has gone — where else? — to Brooklyn federal court. “We think they’re trading off the Skee Ball name,” said Richard Idell, a lawyer for the firm. The bar says it’s doing the manufacturer a favor by raising the game’s profile. Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/hey_skee_daddle_gPPYfn6GZ96cxsKVbf9z0I#ixzz1iPXQPpOr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 As much as I don't like hipsters, I also think this is very dumb of Skee Ball! It's a great opportunity for free press and some fun marketing tie-ins. Everyone is so sue-happy nowadays! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chroniq Posted January 3, 2012 Author Share Posted January 3, 2012 ^Seriously. If a bunch of like minded individuals decided to get together to show interest in my company then I'd welcome them with open arms. It's kind of like how theme parks embrace TPR. It's good business to embrace the people who like your product so much they've joined a group to support it (and good marketing). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeemerBoy Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Sense is unfortunately not common. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gisco Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Wow, this will do more harm to Skee Ball Incs image than if they had done nothing at all. They should have jumped on this as a marketing tool and got leagues started all over the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 All they're going to do is alienate Skee Ball players in Brooklyn--and you don't want to piss those guys off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XYZ Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Wow! First of all, I'm on the Skee Ball League side, though they really should've given permission to Skee Ball to use their name. Other than that, Skee Ball is really pathetic by suing it's own customers. This really is going to bring down sales for the company and how much money are they going to get from the league and does this mean all theme parks with a sign stating "Skee Ball" are also going to be sued? This is just incredible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougMJr Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I love skee-ball. Unfortunatly now I'll think about this lawsuit the next time I play, which is kinda a downer when playing a fun simple game. I understand skee-ball wanting to protect their brand, but this really seems pointless. "Brew-skee-ball" seems mutually beneficial for skee-ball and the league. I actually hope the idea of skee-ball leagues spread because it seems like it would be a blast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeemerBoy Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 THIS JUST IN: In a bold move, the International Table Tennis Federation has announced it is seeking legal action against the world's brewers, as well as every current college student. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I also understand the desire to protect a "brand name." After all, trampoline, aspirin, dry ice, and many other now common words were once specific brands. However, if Skee-Ball is smart, they can parlay this into a big hit at bars nationwide. If I were them, I'd love to see Skee-Ball machines in more than just amusement parks and arcades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I also understand the desire to protect a "brand name." After all, trampoline, aspirin, dry ice, and many other now common words were once specific brands. However, if Skee-Ball is smart, they can parlay this into a big hit at bars nationwide. If I were them, I'd love to see Skee-Ball machines in more than just amusement parks and arcades. Once again, I find myself agreeing with Chuck 100%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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