FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contact:July 23, 2015

David Glanzer

pr@comic-con.orgCOMIC-CON DISPUTES SALT LAKE EVENTS

INTERPRETATION OF TRADEMARK RULINGSupplemental Registration Does Not Convey Validity, Ownership or Exclusive RightsSan Diego San Diego Comic Convention, producer of Comic-Con International (CCI), responded to a press release from Dan Farr Productions regarding the granting of a Supplemental Trademark Registration for the phrase Salt Lake Comic Con.We were less surprised by the registration than we were of the organizers take on it, commented David Glanzer, spokesperson for Comic-Con International. As there is no opposition process for a Supplemental Registration we of course were not able oppose it, however we are engaging this matter as part of the normal course of protecting our already granted and incontestable trademarks.

A clearer understanding of Supplemental Registration might be found at the website for the International Trademark Association (INTA) wherein it states: A registration on the Supplemental Register does not provide all the protection of a registration on the Principal Register. For example, a Supplemental Registration does not convey the presumptions of validity, ownership and exclusive rights to use the mark that arise with a registration on the Principal Register. In addition, a Supplemental Registration cannot be used to prevent the importation of infringing or counterfeit products. Finally, a Supplemental Registration can never become incontestable.

Peter Hahn of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, legal counsel for San Diego Comic Convention, weighed in on the matter by stating, The issuance of a Supplemental Register Registration has no effect on San Diego Comic Conventions exclusive rights afforded by its Principle Register Registrations for various marks including the mark Comic-Con. Contrary to Dan Farr Productions statement, the Supplemental Registration will have no effect on the on-going infringement litigation in San Diego. San Diego Comic Convention will continue to protect its incontestable rights in the Comic-Con mark until Dan Farr Productions discontinues infringement of the Comic-Con markeven if that means having the Court force Dan Farr Productions to comply with the law. INTA: http://www.inta.org/TrademarkBasics/FactSheets/Pages/PrincipalvsSupplementalRegister.aspx

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