By Patrick Danner, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-10-16 11:25:20
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
因被指控未经授权在咖啡杯、运动衫和其他商品上使用其昵称和肖像进行销售，马刺队球星维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 对一名奥斯汀男子提起法律诉讼。
周二，文班亚马 在奥斯汀的联邦法院对詹姆斯·T·格洛迪奇 (James T. Glodich) 提起诉讼，要求其赔偿未指明的经济损失，并发布禁令，指示其停止使用这位法国巨人球员的姓名、肖像和个人特征，以及侵犯其隐私权。
诉讼称，格洛迪奇从未回应文班亚马律师发出的要求其停止宣传和销售各种商品的信函。
诉状称，格洛迪奇注册了域名 wembysworld.com，并在该网站上“宣传和销售衬衫、蜡烛、连帽运动衫、咖啡杯、鼠标垫、磁铁、婴儿围兜、啤酒杯和包装纸”。
然而，截至周三上午，该网站上没有任何商品可供出售。访问者会看到“即将推出”的消息。
《圣安东尼奥快报》去年报道，企业和个人（包括格洛迪奇）正蜂拥而至，试图通过将“文班” (Wemby) 这个昵称注册商标或将其纳作品牌来利用文班亚马日益高涨的人气获利。
当时，格洛迪奇的 wembysworld.com 网站上正在销售印有文班亚马肖像的 40 美元咖啡杯、115 美元连帽运动衫和其他商品。
周三，格洛迪奇在回复电子邮件时拒绝就这起诉讼发表评论。
文班亚马希望法院命令格洛迪奇将其使用其姓名和肖像销售商品所得的任何利润代为保管。文班亚马还表示，他有权获得三倍损害赔偿和律师费。
商标申请
格洛迪奇以“迷你篮球计划”(Project Mini Hoop) 的名义开展业务，他曾试图在 2023 年 10 月将“文班的世界”(Wemby’s World) 注册为商标，此前在 2023 年 8 月还试图将“棒球文班”(El Wemby) 注册为商标。
文班亚马的法律顾问似乎已经向美国专利商标局提交了异议函，反对其授予“棒球文班”的注册。该机构不向公众提供异议函。
4 月 4 日，商标局对格洛迪奇的申请提出质疑，其中包括“棒球文班”可能会错误地暗示与斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 存在关联，后者通常被称为“文班”。
“尽管维克托·文班亚马与申请人在申请商标下提供的商品没有任何关系，但维克托·文班亚马的知名度很高，以至于消费者会认为两者之间存在关联，”该局表示。
格洛迪奇从未对该机构的调查结果作出回应，导致该商标申请于 8 月 1 日被宣布放弃。出于同样的原因，他申请的“文班的世界”商标也于 10 月 1 日被放弃。
在商标局网站上搜索发现，至少有 15 份申请试图将“文班”或其变体注册为商标。其中有 10 份申请被视为“失效”，因为它们已被放弃。
圣安东尼奥的帕洛玛餐厅公司 (Palomar Restaurants Inc.) 曾试图将“文班鸡尾酒”(The Wemby) 注册为鸡尾酒名称，但未能成功。其申请于 10 月 8 日被视为放弃。
到目前为止，所有包含“文班”字样的商标申请都尚未获得批准。
V.What Trademarks 公司
代表文班亚马的芝加哥律师迈克尔·盖勒 (Michael Geller) 没有回应置评请求。
去年，盖勒拒绝透露他是否代表文班亚马对各种商标申请提出过异议。盖勒表示，他的律师事务所的政策是不对正在进行的案件发表评论。
但盖勒已经确认，他是 V.What Trademarks 有限责任公司提交的“文班”和“维克托·文班亚马”商标申请的记录律师。该公司还申请了“维克托·文班亚马”的商标。
这两份申请都提供了各种预期用途，从鞋类和珠宝到饮料。
“维克托·文班亚马”的申请仍在审批过程中。商标局网站显示，V.What 公司申请的“文班”商标目前处于暂停状态，等待此前“文班”商标申请的结果。
根据世界知识产权组织的数据，文班亚马本人已经在其他国家（包括他的祖国法国）注册了“文班”商标。
圣安东尼奥马刺队球星维克托·文班亚马（中）起诉了一名奥斯汀男子，原因是该男子涉嫌“未经授权使用”该球员的姓名和肖像。图中，文班亚马上周在圣安东尼奥举行的一场季前赛中坐在他的新队友后卫克里斯·保罗和前锋哈里森·巴恩斯之间。
奥斯汀的詹姆斯·T·格洛迪奇曾向美国专利商标局提交了这幅图画，作为他申请“棒球文班”商标的一部分。马刺队球星维克托·文班亚马现在起诉格洛迪奇使用“棒球文班”和“文班的世界”。这些商标申请已被该机构视为放弃。
圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋维克托·文班亚马希望法院判给他詹姆斯·T·格洛迪奇使用他的姓名和肖像销售商品所得的任何利润。图中，文班亚马上周在圣安东尼奥举行的一场季前赛中带球突破奥兰多魔术队前锋保罗·班凯罗。
点击查看原文：Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama sues over use of ‘Wemby’ nickname
Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama sues over use of ‘Wemby’ nickname
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has taken legal action against an Austin man over the alleged unauthorized use of the player’s nickname and likeness on coffee mugs, sweatshirts and other merchandise for sale.
On Tuesday, Wembanyama filed a lawsuit in federal court in Austin against James T. Glodich seeking unspecified financial damages and an injunction directing him to cease using the towering Frenchman’s name, image and likeness, and invading his privacy.
Glodich never responded to letters from Wembanyama’s lawyers demanding that Glodich stop advertising and selling various merchandise, the lawsuit says.
Glodich has registered the domain name wembysworld.com where he “advertises and sells shirts, candles, hooded sweatshirts, coffee mugs, mousepads, magnets, baby bibs, beer mugs, and wrapping paper,” the complaint says.
On Wednesday morning, though, nothing was available for sale on the website. Visitors were greeted with the message “Coming Soon.”
The San Antonio Express-News last year reported how businesses and individuals — including Glodich — were swarming to capitalize on Wembanyama’s burgeoning popularity by trying to trademark the “Wemby” nickname or incorporating it in branding.
At the time, Glodich’s wembysworld.com was selling $40 coffee mugs, $115 hooded sweatshirts and other items bearing Wembanyama’s likeness.
Reached by email Wednesday, Glodich declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Wembanyama wants the court to order Glodich to hold in trust any profits obtained from the sale of merchandise using the player’s name and image. Wembanyama also said he’s entitled to triple damages and attorneys fees.
Trademark applications
Glodich, doing business as Project Mini Hoop, had tried to trademark “Wemby’s World” in October 2023 and, before that, “El Wemby” in August 2023.
It appears Wembanyama’s legal counsel filed a letter of protest with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office opposing it awarding registration for “El Wemby.” The agency doesn’t make letters of protest available to the public.
On April 4, the trademark office raised issues with Glodich’s application, including that “El Wemby” may falsely suggest a connection with Wembanyama, who is commonly referred to as “Wemby.”
“Although Victor Wembanyama is not connected with the goods provided by applicant under the applied-for mark, Victor Wembanyama is so well-known that consumers would presume a connection," it said.
Glodich never responded to the agency’s findings, resulting in an Aug. 1 notice that the trademark application had been abandoned. His application for “Wemby’s World” was abandoned Oct. 1 for the same reason.
A search of the trademark office’s website turned up at least 15 applications to trademark “Wemby” or some variation of it. Ten of the applications were considered “dead” because they had been abandoned.
San Antonio’s Palomar Restaurants Inc. unsuccessfully sought to trademark “The Wemby” for use as the name of a cocktail. Its application was deemed abandoned Oct. 8.
Thus far, none of the applications on file has resulted in the issuance of a trademark with the “Wemby” name.
V.What Trademarks
Michael Geller, a Chicago lawyer representing Wembanyama, didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Last year, Geller declined to say whether he had opposed the various trademark applications on Wembanyama’s behalf. Geller said it was his law firm’s policy not to comment on ongoing cases.
But Geller had confirmed he was the attorney of record on a trademark applications for “Wemby” and “Victor Wembanyama” that were filed by V.What Trademarks LLC. It also applied to trademark “Victor Wembanyama.”
Both of the applications offer a variety of intended uses ranging from footwear and jewelry to beverages.
The application for “Victor Wembanyama” is still winding its way through the application process. The trademark office’s website shows V.What’s application for “Wemby” is currently suspended pending the outcome of prior trademark applications for “Wemby.”
Wembanyama himself already has registered the trademark “Wemby” in other countries, including his home country of France, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization.
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, center, has sued an Austin man over the alleged “unauthorized use” of the player’s name and likeness. Wembanyama is shown sitting between his new teammates guard Chris Paul and forward Harrison Barnes during a preseason game last week in San Antonio.
Austin’s James T. Glodich had submitted this drawing to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as part of his effort to trademark “El Wemby.” Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is now suing Glodich over the use of “El Wemby” and “Wemby’s World.” The trademark applications have been deemed abandoned by the agency.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama wants a court to award him any profits that James T. Glodich made from selling merchandise using the player’s name and image. Wembanyama is shown shooting over Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero during a preseason game last week in San Antonio.
By Patrick Danner, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News
