VEGAS INC coverage
As businesses “go green,” two nonprofit groups have sprung up using the name “Las Vegas Green Chamber of Commerce.”
But which of the two is the authentic Las Vegas Green Chamber of Commerce?
That question was raised Tuesday when the Las Vegas Green Chamber of Commerce on Sahara Avenue sued the Ward 5 Chamber of Commerce, charging the Ward 5 group is infringing on the plaintiff’s trademark.
The suit says the Ward 5 Chamber of Commerce has been passing out brochures falsely stating that the Las Vegas Green Chamber of Commerce is a Division of Ward 5. The suit also charges that Ward 5 is wrongfully using the website domain name lasvegasgreenchamberofcommerce.com.
The plaintiff Las Vegas Green Chamber of Commerce says in the federal lawsuit that it’s located at 2300 W. Sahara Ave., Suite 800.
This chamber says it’s been in existence since 2010, has used its name since August 2010 and is a Nevada licensee of Green Chamber of Commerce Inc. of San Francisco, which owns a federal trademark dating to June 2007 for the phrase “Green Chamber of Commerce.”
The Sahara Avenue plaintiff says that on top of that, it owns the Nevada service mark for the phrase “Green Chamber of Commerce.”
The plaintiff says it’s involved in business networking, sustainable business consulting, providing business information, providing business organizational services, promotion of business opportunities and promoting public awareness of environmental issues and initiatives.
Its website is called lvgreenchamber.com.
This chamber said it contacted the Ward 5 chamber on Sept. 1 advising it that its use of the Las Vegas Green Chamber of Commerce name is an unauthorized commercial use of that trademark.
As of Tuesday, the lasvegasgreenchamberofcommerce.com website was active and it was clear that the group at 6216 S. Sandhill Road is using both the Las Vegas Green Chamber of Commerce and Ward 5 Chamber of Commerce names.
In the lawsuit, attorneys for the Sahara Avenue chamber said the Sandhill Road chamber’s use of the Las Vegas Green Chamber of Commerce name is likely to cause confusion among consumers and that the Sahara Avenue group is entitled to recover damages, profits earned by Ward 5 and attorney’s fees.
The suit also asserts counts of deceptive trade practices and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage.
“Ward 5’s actions have disrupted or are intended to disrupt Las Vegas Green Chamber of Commerce’s business by, among other things, diverting customers away from the Las Vegas Green Chamber of Commerce and to the Ward 5 website,” the lawsuit charges.
The Sahara Avenue Las Vegas Green Chamber is represented by attorneys with the Las Vegas law firm Peel Brimley LLP as well as a Portland, Ore., firm called Kolisch Hartwell, P.C.
A request for comment was left with the Sandhill Road chamber.