Woodstock Ventures, the founding entity behind the Woodstock music festival, can move forward with a planned cannabis brand after a court ruled their trademark was not blocked by Woodstock Roots LLC, an unaffiliated company.
A federal judge has ruled that the company who owns the rights to the Woodstock music festival – Woodstock Ventures – can use the name for cannabis products, lifting a preliminary injunction against the company by Woodstock Roots LLC who had previously been granted trademark rights for selling “smoker’s articles,” according to a Digital Music News report.
In the ruling, U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe said that while Woodstock Roots had obtained their trademark before Woodstock Ventures, the former company did not intend to use its trademark in the cannabis space.
“[Woodstock Ventures’] products all involve the use of recreational marijuana, while [Woodstock Roots has] expressly disavowed the notion that their products are intended for use with recreational marijuana.” – Gardephe, in his ruling, via Digital Music News
The trademark dispute stems from an ongoing trademark case between the two companies over the “Woodstock” name that was filed in 2018. Woodstock Ventures claims that Woodstock Roots is violating its trademark by using the moniker.
The ruling allows Woodstock Ventures’ co-founder Michael Lang to move forward with plans for “Woodstock Weed” – a brand that would reportedly use strains inspired by those available in the 1960s, like Panama Red and Acapulco Gold. Lang first discussed the plan in a 2017 interview with the Fresh Toast. At that time, he indicated finding cultivators for the strains has been challenging as growers in each state would have to operate under unique rules and standards to ensure quality from state to state.
In May, Woodstock alum Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead launched his own pre-roll brand called Mind Your Head. Jimi Hendrix’s likeness is also used by Purple Haze Properties – which is partly owned by Jimi’s brother Leon – for cannabis products.
