Narvel Blackstock, former husband to influential country music figure, Reba McEntire, was recently denied a bid to cancel the trademark for “Starstruck Farm.” After purchasing the property, the new owner decided to keep the existing name. However, this sparked a legal dispute between the parties, wherein Blackstock was expected to prove the likelihood of confusion or bad faith ownership, aimed at capitalizing on the original name’s prestige.
As per the judgement handed down by a Tennessee federal judge, Blackstock failed to sufficiently make his case regarding these specific issues of contention. Consequently, the trademark for “Starstruck Farm” will remain with the current owner.
For more insight on the judicial considerations that resulted in this ruling, you can follow this link to read further on this trademark dispute, as provided by Law360.