This is according to an appeals court ruling in New York today. Viacom has lost its bid to change TNN's name, although the network has said the case is ``far from over'' So I'm assuming they'll appeal.
From reading it, TNN did not lose the case - they just lost any power to go ahead and do Spike TV things while the case was ongoing. I guess the reasoning was the predicted damage Spike Lee's name was greater than the predicted damage to Viacom's bottom line.
With the next hearing not scheduled till the first week of September, TNN might want to start thinking about alternate possiblites. I don't know how hard headed in the face of expenses Viacom is in these sitatuons, but I imagine Lee stands a decent shot of winning this just because TNN/Viacom drops the issue and gets a new name instead of dragging it out.
I think this is a blessing is disguise. I mean, come one, the Spike TV logo looks like it was designed by the guy that redid the Houston Rockets uniforms.
Hopefully theyll just change the name to something else, like:
The Mars Blackman's A Bitch Channel or Hollywood Has-been Network
Originally posted by CANADIAN BULLDOGThis is according to an appeals court ruling in New York today. Viacom has lost its bid to change TNN's name, although the network has said the case is ``far from over'' So I'm assuming they'll appeal.
No, this *was* the appeal. It doesn't really mean all that much though. The judge just thought Spike Lee had an interesting idea that might be true, but it's now up to Spike Lee to come up with proof, or at least a VERY convincing arguement that people would mistake the Spike TV name with him. The burdan is on him, this just means that the appeals court didn't want to tell Spike Lee to go home, so they're giving him his day in court.
Now if they advertised stuff like "Spike TV, home of the worst movies ever made", I think Lee would have a case.
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Well, there's at least a half-dozen names that Spike Lee could have a case for:
"Spike Lee Sucks TV" "We Hate Spike TV" "Spike Is Dumb TV" And so on...
I hated the name "Spike TV" in the first place, but the the fact that TNN & Viacom can't just go ahead and fail on their own is asinine. Maybe I should sue the guy who has the "Pike" username here because he stole my last name for his name!
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Does anyone else find it odd this is all going down in New York? Spike Lee the New York boy has home court advantage. Shouldn't Viacomn have asked for this to be heard somewhere else, like in the midwest?(you know, stay away from Hollywood and New York City: where egos are stroked)
I think this is a blessing is disguise. I mean, come one, the Spike TV logo looks like it was designed by the guy that redid the Houston Rockets uniforms.
UGHHHHH! DON'T REMIND ME!! I live in Houston, and I have to see those uniforms everytime I watch them play. It's bad enough watching them play and LOSE in them, than having to remember they once had cool WINNING uniforms. They should've just kept their classic Back to Back championship uniforms, DAMN IT!!
And I could care less about the lawsuit and the changing of TNN's name to SPIKE TV. WHO GIVES A CRAP?!
Well Spike Lee does, but he sucks anyway.
(edited by talena696 on 19.6.03 1527) sic gorgiamos alas subjectatos nunc
Yeah, they should have the trial somewhere in Mississippi. Spike wouldn't stand a chance.
I say TNN counters by saying that Spike TV is named after Spike Dudley. That might have some cred with the courts, I mean why not name your network after a featured character on its top-rated show? Sure, it'd be a lie, but the judicial system as a whole is a lie, so who cares?
If they can't hang it, I say rename it "Spork TV". 'Cause those things were so cool.
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If the stars who backed Spike Lee on his appeal testify then Viacom could have a whole bunch of witnesses all named Spike, Spike Owens(Baseball Player), Spike Jonze(Film maker), Spike (the Budweiser dog), Spike Dudley, Spike (from Cowboy Bebop sketched live via satellite). They should just make fun off what a stupid waste of time this trial is. And I now hate typing Spike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Assuming they win the majority of people will associate the name with Spike Lee because of the lawsuit. They should go for the win just on principle but find another name.
It was so funny to me that the name of the new men's network, Spike, could have sex with the name of the newest women's network, Oh. I'll miss that little Spiegel catalogue looking thing.
I don't think many people still think that Vince will try to resurrect ECW... if he failed with WCW, he has to KNOW he won't do any better with ECW. I mean, in order to do it, it would have to be one show (RAW)