Atlanta Truckles to NCAA; Party Guys Object

ATLANTA (CN) - A party promoter took Atlanta to court in a fight over a basketball slogan it's not even using.

Rival Entertainment sued Atlanta and its Chief of Staff Candace Byrd in Fulton County Superior Court.

In its complaint, Rival claims Atlanta issued it a permit on Feb. 8 to hold an outdoor event downtown to coincide with the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament. Rival says it called its event the "Big Dance Block Party." The party was to begin on April 4. The Final Four is scheduled for April 6 and 8,

But the NCAA objected, and told Atlanta "that the 'Big Dance' was a registered trademark of the NCAA".

That's fine, Rival says: "Even before this communication to the city, Rival Entertainment had ceased any use of the NCAA trademark, and instead is calling this event 'Tourney Time Block Party,' which does not infringe on any NCAA mark."

Nonetheless, Rival says, Atlanta threatened to revoke its permit or "not allow the modification of its permit to reflect the new name of the event."

In language slightly more formal than we shall use here, Rival said: That's ridiculous.

Rival says it's already spent tens of thousands of dollars on the party, in reliance on the permit Atlanta gave it more than a month ago.

Rival seeks a restraining order and injunction, writ of mandamus, costs and an order stating, in essence: Let the party begin.

It is represented by Alan Lubel, with Berman Fink Van Horn.

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