A trademark infringement lawsuit has been filed by entrepreneur Paul Kim against the Kraken’s ownership in U.S. District Court after Kim alleged the team “violated his trademark rights in the design of its NHL Winter Classic jersey.” Kim in 2014 “acquired trademark rights to the name, ‘S’ logo and colors of the defunct Seattle Metropolitans franchise and began selling branded merchandise in the team’s name,” and he alleges the Kraken’s Winter Classic jersey contains a “virtually identical” red “S” logo and lettering to that used by the Metropolitans. The lawsuit “alleges the Kraken made Kim ‘low-ball’ licensing offers in recent years for rights to sell the trademarked Metropolitans’ logo and colors.” The lawsuit also said that Kim “rebuffed all offers as well below market value and the Kraken’s legal counsel informed him last February the team would pursue an ‘alternative’ Winter Classic jersey.” Kim and his company, Seattle Metropolitans Hockey LLC, claim the Kraken’s “use of confusingly similar branding cost it an estimated” $2.5M in lost sales and goodwill, and they are “seeking at least that amount and possibly more from Kraken owners Seattle Hockey Partners LLC” (SEATTLE TIMES, 12/28).
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