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The Clash sue over Clash tennis racket
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 23 September 2019
The UK company that controls the trademarks of The Clash has gone legal in the US against a business called Wilson Sporting Goods Co, over a range of tennis rackets that are branded Clash.
Wilson does own a trademark in the US allowing it to use the word Clash on sporty products. But Dorisimo Limited, owner of The Clash trademarks – which include US marks for recordings, shows and merch – reckons that the Wilson-made tennis racket could confuse consumers. In that tennis players may think that the racket is officially endorsed by the surviving members of the band The Clash.
And while you might think that that’s a bit of a stretch, you’re clearly forgetting the tie up between The Clash and Converse that began in 2010. That resulted in some official The Clash branded sneakers, otherwise known – Dorisimo would like you to remember – as “tennis shoes”. Not only that, but The Clash have licensed their music to a number of sporty shindigs, not least a little tennis competition we know as fucking WIMBLEDON.
Therefore, clearly, any tennis racket containing the word ‘Clash’ will clearly make tennis fans think of the punk band. Or so says Dorisimo, which wants Wilson’s Clash trademark cancelled, plus an injunction stopping the firm from producing any other tennis goods with the Clash brand, as well as profits to date from the Clash racket and some lovely damages.
Wilson is yet to respond.
