In the most important legal battle since Hustler Magazine v. Falwell, Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier has been cleared to wear his “Hollywood"-inspired mask.
Earlier this afternoon we spoke with Christine Sovich of Global Icons, the counsel/agency representing the trust overseeing the Hollywood sign and the Chamber of Commerce in these types of matters.
According to Sovich, whose company also represents brands like Ford, Cold Stone creamery and Motorola, the entire thing – in part – was a misunderstanding on their side.
“This has now been brought to my attention and we’ve looked into it further,” she began. “The Chamber has no objection to the use of it in that nature (referring to Bernier’s use on his mask).
“Therefore, a letter has already gone out – prior to me calling you back – letting them know…that we apologize for the inconvenience of the original letter. The Chamber has no objection to the use. He can continue to use it that way.”
Yesterday, it was reported Bernier’s mask ran afoul of the commerce chamber -- not because the word “Hollywood” was trademarked, but rather due to “certain trademark rights” for usage of the sign and/or its likeness.
(To avoid conflict, Bernier temporarily taped over the Hollywood sign on his helmet.)
But now it appears the whole thing was just one big misunderstanding, meaning we can all go back to focusing on more important things like how Bobby Ryan is trying to get with the blonde from Glee.