Mention Gymkhana and visions of Ken Block’s sideways action with plumes of tyre-smoke hits the imagination rather than a lawsuit. The reason for it is that while there’s plenty of mention about Block’s tyre-smoking antics, photos, videos, links and what not, there’s really very little mention of him at all, simply because Ken Block doesn’t actually own the website’s URL; although he does officially own the trademark.
Producers of Ken Block’s earlier drift antics in a Ford Fiesta, Mad Media, had initially approached one of Block’s colleagues who were hoping to sell some advertising. At that point, Block’s team only then learned of the site’s existence and were surprised to note that the URL did not actually belong to them.
After trying to negotiate further with Josh Martelli of Mad Media, the final outcome of the conversation was less than expected, prompting Block and his team to seek legal assistance to which Martelli holds firm stating: “The automotive sport of gymkhana has been around since the 1900s… no one has the right to prevent the public from using the word gymkhana to report on, discuss, or promote the sport – especially on a website.”
To which Block’s team fires back with a salvo saying: “”By registering and using the domain name GYMKHANA.COM, Mad Media breached its contractual obligations to Plaintiffs to refrain from using the knowledge it gained from its contractual relationship with Plaintiffs to misappropriate, interfere with, or profit from opportunities and property in the GYMKHANA brand.”
Whatever the case may be and who ever gets the rights gymkhana.com, access to a considerable amount of advertising revenue is now at stake. now sit back relax and enjoy all the gymkhana you want!
