Kudelski’s trademark dispute against power metal band TANAGRA meets unexpected resistance

Last week the news came out that Portland’s Tanagra had newfound legal troubles with Swiss company Nagra / Kudelski Group. For those unfamiliar, Kudelski believes Tanagra‘s trademark interferes with their trademark “Nagra.” Because of the vast legal expenses required to fight the dispute, Tanagra decided to liquidate its merch in preparation for a possible rebranding.

Erich Ulmer from Tanagra talked about the overwhelming support they have received from metal fans around the world.

“We have been astounded at the response; the community is the only reason the corporation is negotiating at all. Fans have come together and they’re saying things like ‘They [Nagra / Kudelski Group] need to drop it completely’ and the community is right. There is no reason we can’t reach a co-existence agreement.”

But it seems that negotiating with the corporation was futile for the band. As reported on Tanagra‘s Facebook page, Kudelski repeatedly offered the same deal, one that would require Tanagra to forfeit all but a portion of their live performance trademark. Upon this announcement, however, a second uproar caught the ears of unexpected allies.

Erich explained that Foundation Law Group has extended their services pro bono, via the trademark expertise of Sevag Demirjian and the support of the CEO of the firm, Armen Martin.

“It turns out there are a couple of metalheads at Foundation Law Group who don’t appreciate the overreach of giant corporations. It honestly feels like Tolkien is writing this.”

With a league of fans howling and their ranks bolstered, Tanagra now stands a chance at maintaining their trademarks.

You can find the band’s Bandcamp here: https://tanagraband.bandcamp.com

Links to the dispute:
http://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/v?pno=91253546&pty=OPP&eno=1
http://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/v?pno=91253546&pty=OPP&eno=2

For more info:
Facebook.com/tanagraband
Instagram.com/tanagraband
Spotify
EPK