TAMPA, FLA. (CelebrityAccess) Feld Entertainment suffered a setback Jan. 16 against its case against Kid Rock for his use of the phrase “Greatest Show On Earth,” with a federal court judge in Tampa, Fla., denied Feld a request for a preliminary injunction against the rocker and co-defendant Live Nation.
Rock originally dubbed his 2018 tour “Greatest Show On Earth” but Feld Entertainment, which owns the circus that has been using that phrase for decades, claimed it was a trademark infringement against Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Circus. Rock changed the name of the tour, saying the litigation could distract “Me and my fans from focusing on what is important in my upcoming tour – my music” but Feld continued with the lawsuit, citing Rock’s use of the phrase after continued requests to cease doing so.
There is still a legal question if Rock, who has a song called “Greatest Show On Earth,” can use the term on merch such as T-shirts, as noted by Amplify magazine. Judge Mary S. Scriven denied yesterday’s preliminary injunction without prejudice, meaning Feld can have its argument reheard with the additional information requested by the judge, although it was not clear if Feld was interested in pursuing the case further.
“We are thankful for the Court’s time and attention to this matter, and it was important for us to be heard,” a Feld representative told CelebrityAccess. “We obviously wanted a different outcome but we respect the Court and the process. We will proceed to the next steps accordingly.”
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