Medieval Times has sued the union representing its employees at a New Jersey castle, alleging it has infringed on the dinner-theater chain’s trademark.
In its lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court, Medieval Times said the union, the American Guild of Variety Artists, had created “consumer confusion” by allowing workers to use the name “Medieval Times Performers United.”
“The elements featured in the Medieval Times Performers Logo (i.e., castle, swords, old script style text) all resemble elements of Medieval Times’s branding and middle ages-themed décor, which are clearly meant to evoke Medieval Times’ unique image,” the company said in its lawsuit.
The company alleges that the union’s moniker creates the “impression” that the union is “officially affiliated with Medieval Times.”
“Despite wholly adopting the Medieval Times Mark as well as many Medieval Times-adjacent elements in its branding and marketing, Medieval Times Performers makes no attempt to disclaim any affiliation with Medieval Times by way of a disclaimer on the Medieval Times Performers Website or otherwise,” the company claims.
Many workers have been organizing new unions lately under a variation of the “united” theme. Some examples are Starbucks Workers United, Trader Joe’s United and Home Depot Workers United.
To HuffPost’s knowledge, none of those companies have sued the worker organizations for alleged trademark infringement.Medieval Times could not immediately be reached for comment.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
