May 8, 2009 7:52 pm US/Pacific
Clothing Line May Sue City Of Hollister
HOLLISTER (CBS 5) ―
There is Hollister the clothing line, and the community of Hollister in San Benito County. What do the two have in common? Almost nothing, unless you are some future judge and jury and have to decide a copyright case.
The clothing company wants to take apparel promoting the city off the rack. It has trademarked the Hollister name and with millions invested aims to protect it. They're now threatening to sue Hollister merchants who put the name of their town on t-shirts or any other piece of clothing.
Company officials were not available for comment. But in a statement to the Los Angeles Times, an attorney for Hollister's parent company Abercrombie & Fitch was quoted as saying, "If they try, they would get a phone call and much more."
Store owner Deborah Wood was one of the few in town not afraid to do an interview. Her store only sells one shirt commemorating Hollister's big motorcycle rally.
"I'm not going to go out and put Hollister on because of that, I don't really want to compete against them," Wood said.
Other merchants are still selling Hollister t-shirts, but are trying to keep a low profile so they won't get sued.
Mark Vivian, a longtime Hollister resident, thinks the situation stinks. "Hollister has been here a lot longer than the clothing line, and if anyone should own the name Hollister, it should be the city that owns the name Hollister," he said.
The local Chamber of Commerce is hoping it won't have to be decided in court.
"We're hoping we're within the law to legally market our community as a geographical location," said Jessica French of the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce.
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