It’s Stanley Cup season and playoff fever is heating up. A Vancouver-based car dealership, though, has been told to cool it.
According to the CBC, the manager of Kingsway Honda, Doug Lum, received word from the NHL’s legal department that a Pro-Canucks sign displayed across the dealership’s windows had to go.
According to the notice Lum received, the sign – which said ‘Go Canucks Go’ – fell under copyright infringement and had to be removed. NHL Legal counsel, Kelly Lynch wrote in the letter to Lum: “Consumers are likely to be misled that the Vancouver Canucks have an official relationship with your dealership.”
Lum told the CBC that they were not trying to turn a profit off the Canucks’ name, but rather, just trying to celebrate the hockey playoff season. Lum also noted a level of irony in the situation, saying Honda has always maintained a fairly close relationship with the NHL, and is quoted in the article saying, “Honda Canada is the official car company of the NHL, so go figure.”
Regardless, Lum didn’t put up much of a fight – and, as per request, removed the Canucks’ Orca-turned-’C’ logo from the windows. Still, plenty of Playoff spirit remains – with Lum himself, of course, but also with the part of the original sign still left of the dealership’s windows.
It now reads ‘Go ‘Nucks Go’ instead.
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That is the sort of corporatists greed from the NHL that impedes its progresss. The guy was obviously just trying to celebrate his team with the community and a couple lawyers have to go and knock on his door and tell him to dial down his pride for his squade. A bit sad if you ask me.