Don't you wish you were important enough so that you had to trademark your very name to keep it from being exploited?
Larry Bird has filed a lawsuit alleging a couple who bought his former home in southern Indiana are improperly using his name to promote a bed-and-breakfast.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Evansville, claims Geogianna Lincoln and Christopher Cooke did not have permission to use the NBA Hall of Famer's name with the property and are profiting off his trademark by stating the home belonged to him.
"The commercialization of Larry Bird's name in association with this former property is wholly and completely unauthorized and is blatantly being done for the sole purpose of profiting illegally from Larry Bird's name." the lawsuit states.
Cooke, an attorney in Alaska, said Tuesday that negotiations had ended in good faith with a spoken permission to use Bird's name in association with the home.
An attorney. Doesn't have a written contract. Relied on "spoken permission." Uh huh. Sorry -- even Judge Judy would go with Larry on this one.
