News

Actions

Salt Lake Comic Con can’t talk about the lawsuit against it on social media

Posted at 2:41 PM, Sep 23, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-23 16:41:31-04

SALT LAKE CITY — As the popular Salt Lake Comic Con is under way here, a federal judge in California has ordered the event to make no reference to the lawsuit against it on social media.

In an order handed down Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Anthony Battaglia ordered Salt Lake Comic Con organizers Dan Farr and Bryan Brandenburg (and the event itself) to remove reference to the litigation with San Diego Comic-Con on websites and social media.

From the order:

The Salt Lake Comic Con website reflected the judge’s order with a disclaimer:

The popular event is under way at the Salt Palace with tens of thousands attending panel discussions, visiting vendors and meeting celebrities who have flown into town.

San Diego Comic-Con has sued Salt Lake Comic Con, accusing it of infringing on its copyrights by using the term “comic con.” Salt Lake Comic Con has pushed back, pointing out other events use those words.

In a separate order issued Friday, Judge Battaglia laid out the pending eight day jury trial set to begin in California at the end of November. Key witnesses for both sides will be Salt Lake Comic Con organizers Farr and Brandenburg.

Attorneys for Salt Lake Comic Con may also call the organizers of other cons, including the organizer of Stan Lee’s Comic Con, in an apparent attempt to bolster their claim that others use the term.