The state of California seems to have learned something from the legal turmoil engulfing Yosemite National Park.
The state now has a new law preventing park concessionaires in California’s state parks from trademarking the names historic place names simply due to their status as a concessionaire.
The National Park Service is embroiled in a legal battle with a former Yosemite concessionaire who lost a bid to have its contract renewed and so copyrighted the long-standing names of many iconic places in the park. That’s forced the Park Service to come up with new names.
The Ahwahnee Hotel has been re-named the “Majestic Yosemite Hotel,” Curry Village is now “Half Dome Village,” the Wawona Hotel is “Big Trees Lodge” and Badger Pass Ski Area is now called “Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area.”
“This bill makes clear that trademarking of historic names in state parks by concessionaires without any independent basis for a claim is unacceptable and our state Department of Parks and Recreation cannot sign off on the type of trademarking conduct that produced the Yosemite dispute,” says Assemblyman Ken Cooley, D-Rancho Cordova, the author of the legislation along with Assemblymen Frank Bigelow, R-O’Neals, and Adam Gray, D-Merced.
“With AB 2249’s signature, that kind of behavior will disqualify a concessionaire from receiving a concessions contract in California, which makes the bipartisan unanimity of the Legislature especially impressive,” Mr. Cooley says,
To keep concessionaires from co-opting state landmarks, this bill adds to state law a prohibition on concessionaires claiming ownership of a name associated with a California state park and disqualifies a bidder from future contracts if they attempt such trademark claims. (read more)
Photo Credit: Della Huff