It seems as though big brother has his panties in a wad.Sturgis, S.D., Chamber of Commerce is suing Sturgis, Ky., over the little western Kentucky town's motorcycle rally held each July since 1993. The South Dakota Chamber started holding a much larger and wider known motorcycle rally in 1938 and apparently holds a trademark on the name.
So now, big Sturgis has filed a federal lawsuit in South Dakota accusing Sturgis, Ky., of stepping on its protected turf. It seeks to stop "little" Sturgis from using the name.
So what's Sturgis, Ky., to do? Change the name of the town?
I think Sturgis Bike Week's Web site said it best, "The Sturgis (S.D.) Chamber of Commerce has finally hit rock bottom. Like an alcoholic drinking Aqua Velva filtered through a baby’s diaper, they can’t go any lower. The entirely NON-BIKER Chamber Board of Directors filed a federal lawsuit this week accusing Sturgis Kentucky of infringing on their trademarks." Those comments were issued by the corporation that owns the name to Sturgis Bike Week which makes all of the licensed apparel for the South Dakota event.
Even the town of Sturgis, S.D., appears to be miffed at the provocation of a biker turf war. It issued a statement late last week making it clear that the town has no part in the lawsuit. It's the Chamber of Commerce that's pitting biker brother and biker brother. The group is asking the U.S. District Court in South Dakota to hear the case and it also wants monetary damages.
It doesn't appear that the lawsuit will affect this year's rally in Sturgis, Ky., set for July 17-20.
Stay tuned for this one; it could get ugly.
