The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce has filed suit over what it claims is trademark infringement by the Colorado Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, a group also known as C4.
The development is another indication that the cannabis industry is coming of age, and as a result issues such as trademark infringement are likely to become more and more common in coming years.
The Denver chamber says it tried to settle the issue out of court, arguing that the marijuana organization’s logo is too similar to its trademarked brand. But C4 refused to alter its logo.
“(People) might interpret their positions to be ours. That could be very harmful,” Kelly Brough, Denver Metro Chamber president and CEO, told The Denver Business Journal.
C4 rejected that claim, pointing out that its logo uses mountains, while the metro chamber’s uses buildings. The main similarity is that both utilize Colorado’s iconic yellow-and-red “C,” which is also used by numerous other organizations in the state.