A Virginia packaging company is giving up its “Wild Kingdom” calendars, settling a federal lawsuit filed by Mutual of Omaha.
The dispute arose in January when Mutual employees saw “Earth’s Wild Kingdom” calendars, produced by MeadWestVaco Corp. of Richmond, Va., for sale at an Omaha drugstore.
Mutual filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Omaha, saying use of the phrase violated its trademark rights. Mutual said it developed the trademark’s value over the years and prints its own “Wild Kingdom” calendar, which has pictures of some of the same animals as MeadWestVaco’s calendar.
In an agreement and permanent order approved by Judge Joseph Bataillon, MeadWestVaco agreed not to sell the calendars in the United States or to use “Wild Kingdom” on future calendars, and each company agreed to bear its own legal expenses.
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444-1080, steve.jordon@owh.com
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