TripAdvisor sent a super-gay legal threat to Straight Pride organisers
TripAdvisor threatened to sue the Straight Pride organisers (Miguel Candela/Getty)
TripAdvisor is threatening to sue a group of right-wing activists who are organising a ‘Straight Pride’ event.
Trolls with links to far-right white supremacist groups are behind the plans to hold a ‘Straight Pride’ parade in Boston on August 31.
The group’s meme-filled website listed a string of major companies who have no association with the event as “prospective corporate sponsors,” leading to a number of legal threats.
Ride-sharing app Lyft sent a cease-and-desist notice decrying the group’s “regrettable website,” while Netflix threatened: “Our legal department is here, it’s queer, and it’s telling you to steer clear.”
TripAdvisor want everyone to show A Little Respect
However, TripAdvisor’s threat opted to beat the trolls at their own game by incorporating a plethora of gay anthems, from Cher to Taylor Swift.
In the cease-and-desist notice, TripAdvisor’s associate general counsel Bradford Young warned: “I’m Coming Out and saying this clearly: you are infringing upon TripAdvisor’s intellectual property rights.
“To be precise, your use of the TripAdvisor trademark and our Beautiful logo infringes TripAdvisor’s trademark and trade name rights.
Activists want to hold a Straight Pride parade in Boston (Creative Commons photo/Harshil Shah)
“TripAdvisor’s trademarks are protected in many countries around the world and Over The Rainbow, including in the United States under Registration Nos. 2727627, 3171193, 4612678 and 4454774.
“We have become a well-known brand for our reviews of hotels, restaurants, experiences and even the occasional YMCA, but we weren’t Born This Way—we obtained that recognition through significant advertising and promotion since as early as 2000.”
Straight Pride organisers ordered to remove false claims
Young added: “You Need To Calm Down – you are not sponsored by, associated or affiliated with TripAdvisor in any way, and thus, your use of our marks could confuse the public as to an affiliation with TripAdvisor.
“These inaccurate statements, which I trust do not show your True Colors, infringe on TripAdvisor’s rights under the Lanham Act, and impinge upon our Freedom! to decide with what organizations we want to associate our brand.
“Have A Little Respect and remove those statements. TripAdvisor and I Will Survive without being associated with your event.”
The threat adds: “There is nothing Vogue or acceptable about making false claims about others merely to support your own cause.
“If I Could Turn Back Time, I would tell you not to use our name in the first place.
“But now that you have, TripAdvisor demands that you remove all uses of our name, mark and logo from your website (and anywhere else you might use it) within 24 hours and not use them again.
“You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) disappointment that you thought this might be an acceptable way to do business.”
