Lawyers for World Wrestling Entertainment are opposing a trademark application filed by the Wine School of Philadelphia for the term “Sommelier Smackdown.”
By using "Sommelier Smackdown," the Wine School is accused of infringing on WWE's trademark of the word Smackdown, which it uses for its wrestling events.
Last month, WWE lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Wine School, threatening legal action if it does not stop.
“I feel kind of special,” said the school's Keith Wallace, who sent an e-mail blast to advise the immediate world of his legal situation. “I am being picked on by Vince McMahon. I better start working out.” In his note, he also wrote that he was calling out McMahon and wrestler Chris Jericho to a wine-tasting double-team cage match.
Reached by phone, Wallace said: "I just run a tiny little wine school in Fairmount. I can't pony up the cash to go up against a huge multinational company. They can't claim that I'm violating their trademark. It's a generic term and they're trying to bully us. I mean, the word is even in the freakin' dictionary."
Awaiting a callback from WWE lawyers.
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