Former team owners, executives from original USFL suing Fox Sports to halt launch of new spring football league

(AP) - A group of former team owners and executives from the original USFL is suing Fox Sports to halt the launch of the new spring football league with the same name. They allege the new USFL is inappropriately using the old league’s branding.

The suit filed in California on Monday alleges trademark infringement by the new league and requests an injunction to block its launch in April.

The original USFL played games from 1983 to 1985, and the group suing the new league alleges Fox Sports and its partners didn’t properly obtain use of the league’s trademarks and other intellectual property.

David Bernstein of Debevoise & Plimpton, counsel to Fox Sports and USFL Enterprises, emailed this statement to WBRC:

“The lawsuit filed yesterday by an entity formed just a week ago is completely without merit. The new USFL registered its intellectual property rights in 2011 and is excited to launch games on schedule on April 16. The eleventh-hour attempt to extract value from the exciting new USFL is utterly frivolous, and we are exploring all options for redress.”

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