RLH Corporation sues Hard Rock International for copycat branding
Red Lion Hotels’ parent company has taken aim at Hard Rock International with a lawsuit alleging Hard Rock ripped off ideas from RLH Corporation’s millennial focused brand.
Hard Rock is launching Reverb a new brand aimed at millennials, which RLH Corporation says is a knockoff of its own Hotel RL brand.
Hotel RL launched two years ago and was designed by The Gettys Group.
The brand features concepts such as barrista coffee bars and self-service check-in kiosks in the lobby, and a Living Stage for arts and music performances.
"While imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and it is indeed understandable that Hard Rock would seek to imitate our brand’s success in this market, we are not appreciative of Hard Rock’s wholesale infringement of our trade dress with The Gettys Group’s help," says RLH Corporation CEO Greg Mount.
It claims it ‘plagiarizes the Hotel RL signature elements’ and that is supported by Hard Rock’s decision to instruct the same branding company Gettys Group.
"Hard Rock’s infringement is particularly troubling in light of its aggressive litigation strategy to protect what it considers to be its own trade dress. RLH Corporation welcomes fair competition, but infringement of our trade dress is unfair and illegal," Mount added.
RLH Corportaion is seeking unspecified damages, an injunction and a share of profits from the Reverb brand business.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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