BY JIM AUSTIN
THE COOPERSTOWN CRIER
The village of Cooperstown
and the city of Auburn have
agreed to share the Doubleday
name.
A consent agreement that
would formalize the name sharing
was approved by the village
board of trustees last month
and ratified by the Auburn city
council last Thursday night.
The village’s
historic baseball
diamond has, for
decades, borne
the name of Abner
Doubleday,
who was at one
time credited
with inventing
the game. The
use of the name
was never in
question until
the village set
out to trademark
the name with an eye toward
creating a logo and licensing its
use as a means of generating
extra revenue.
Deputy Mayor Jeff Katz
worked with his neighbor and
trademark attorney Chuck
Knull, who donated his time on
the project, to trademark the
Doubleday name for the field.
According to Katz, when the village
filed the trademark application,
Auburn balked because the
city had already trademarked
the name for its minor league
baseball team.
Katz said Knull indicated that
the village was on firm footing
because it had been using
the name far longer than the
Auburn team whose trademark
dates to 1996.
If it went into
litigation, he
was certain the
village would
prevail.
``Chuck
told me that
trademarks are
granted based
on use,’’ Katz said
Friday.
Knull
contacted an
attorney for
the Auburn team and negotiated
the consent agreement to
allow the village and the city to
continue to use the name. He
also contacted an attorney with
Major League Baseball, which
oversees the names and logos
for minor league teams, and he
also was in agreement with both
entities using the name.
``The lawyers signed off
because they knew that when
push comes to shove, we are the
rightful owners of the Doubleday
trademark,’’ Katz said. ``Basically
it’s us allowing them to use
the name.’’
During the February board
of trustees meeting, a motion
from Katz to approve the
consent agreement, seconded
by Trustee Eric Hage, the chair of
the Doubleday Field committee,
was passed unanimously.
The consent agreement was
forwarded to Auburn and was
approved unanimously Thursday
night by the city council
there.
Auburn Mayor Mike Quill was
not in his office Friday, but in a
story posted Thursday evening
on the website of the Auburn
newspaper The Citizen, City
Manager Mark Palesh said there
should be no problems with the
two parties using the Doubleday
name because they are for
two separate organizations _ a
baseball team and a baseball
park.
Katz said there has been some
misunderstanding in the community
concerning Auburn’s
role.
``What was distorted was
that we needed them to grant
us permission. The truth is; it’s
exactly the opposite,’’ he said.
``There was never a point when
our lawyer said we were at risk.
We’re always going to win based
on use.’’
The agreement with Auburn
should be the last step in what
has been an almost yearlong
process to trademark the field
name. ``I’m very happy they
voted for the consent agreement.
It is something that clearly
is in the best interest of both
parties,’’ Katz said.
inactive
March 18, 2010
C-town, Auburn resolve use of Doubleday name
- inactive
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-
Paid parking glitches frustrate both sides
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Coop woman is interning at baseball shrine
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Friends of Bassett holds golf tournament
Hosted by the Friends of Bassett Healthcare Network, the 16th annual KeyBank Bassett Medical Center Invitational took place on Tuesday, May 28, at the par-72 Leatherstocking Golf Course. The event enabled the Friends to raise $150,000. Proceeds will support the Friends' Annual Fund, which strengthens Bassett Healthcare Network's regional initiatives across its eight-county service area.
- Johanna van der Gang Herman OUDENDIJK, The Netherlands -- Johanna van der Gang Herman died at her home in Oudendijk, the Netherlands, on May 20, 2013, following a long and valiant battle with breast cancer.
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Ruth Rathbun Druse
RICHFIELD SPRINGS -- Friends and family of Ruth Druse are invited to a service of the Burial Office and Holy Communion at St. John's Episcopal Church, Main Street, Richfield Springs. The service will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 18, 2013, and will be officiated by the Rev. John Bartle.
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Milford softball clinches TV-East tie
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- Ann Catharine Casey NISKAYUNA -- A Memorial Service in Celebration of the Life of Ann Catharine Casey will be offered at 2 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, 11 May 2013, in Christ Church, Cooperstown, with the Rev'd Mark A. Michael, rector, officiating. The Committal Service and inurnment will follow in the Ecumenical Columbarium in the Church-yard at Christ Church.
- Elizabeth Jane Hathaway McManus FLY CREEK -- Mrs. Elizabeth Jane Hathaway McManus, age 80, passed away Saturday morning, April 27, 2013, at Otsego Manor.
- Theodore E. 'Ted' Lamb COOPERSTOWN -- Theodore E. "Ted" Lamb, a native of Cooperstown who will be remembered for his faithful devotion to his beloved village, died Friday morning, April 26, 2013, at his home on Linden Avenue. The husband of Celia B. Lamb, Ted was 80 years-old.
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