The forthcoming U.S. tour by Kid Rock will no longer be billed as The Greatest Show On Earth.
After Feld Entertainment—the longstanding proprietor of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus—filed a December lawsuit contesting his use of their trademarked slogan, the musician has rebranded his tour as The American Rock N Roll Tour.
Born Robert Ritchie, the artist originally titled his tour after the first song on his newest record, Sweet Southern Sugar.
In a legal declaration filed this week and initially covered by Amplify, Rock stated: "Although I am convinced that the First Amendment grants me the right to call my Tour after my song, I am altering the name to prevent this litigation from diverting attention away from what truly matters—my music."
However, Feld has not withdrawn its lawsuit despite the name change. In a response submitted on Friday (January 12), the company argued that Rock's self-imposed cessation of the trademark usage does not eliminate the necessity for a preliminary injunction. Lawyer Brian Albritton asserted that the musician continues to showcase the mark and plans to market goods bearing it.
Referencing the case Polo Fashions, Inc. v. Dick Bruhn, Inc., Albritton noted: "Should the defendants genuinely plan to avoid infringement, an injunction would cause them minimal harm; if they do not, it offers the plaintiff robust trademark protection."
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus ended its touring operations in May of last year, concluding a 146-year run. The closure resulted from declining ticket revenues after the 2015 choice to remove elephants from performances. Feld Entertainment has kept other family-oriented attractions on the road, including Disney On Ice, Sesame Street Live, Marvel Universe, and Monster Jam.
Feld is pursuing compensation and attorney costs. A court session regarding the preliminary injunction is scheduled for Tuesday at the federal courthouse in Tampa, Florida.
This piece was first published by Billboard.
