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Universal Orlando Resort Expansion News (Part 2)

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I must have missed the post(s) you are referring to when I went through my recent catching up spree. Sorry, guys, I didn't realize it had been discussed.

I am curious what this could mean for the relationship between the two companies?

Also, I wonder if Uni will change the name to appease the holders of the Potter Brand?

To be frank, I would somewhat downplay what this could mean. I mean, @Quint did mention a little while back (I think a month or two), that Universal and WB had particular discussions internally on a positive note for the future of the WW's inclusion worldwide.
 
A question for anyone who might know:

I am hearing that WB might not be too pleased with the new park's name from friends I have in the movie making business. One such person implied that legal action might be on the table (though how that would work is anyone's guess). Has anyone on the theme park side of things heard similar scuttlebutt? Is it possible a new name might be coming?

When I first heard the Fantastic Worlds name I immediately said to my wife and friends, "Well, they better have the Fantastic Beasts franchise locked in or they are going to get a lot of negative feedback." Hearing the rumors of WB not being happy (assuming such talk is true) along with the whole HHN thing last year leads me to wonder if the two studios might not be as chummy as they were a decade or so ago.

Again, it's all just chatter, in Hollywood circles, but I imagine some actual theme park insiders might know more from that end.

If this is in the wrong thread, please feel free to move it to the proper place.

Back on page 19 of this thread @ParkRumors posted a nice summary with references as to what you are alluding to. :read::thumbsup:

So an interesting little tidbit was recently brought to our attention. It seems that Warner Brothers might be trying to prevent Universal from registering the "Fantastic Worlds" mark.

After a trademark is filed and its application is reviewed and approved by the USPTO, there's a 30 day period where the mark is published in the Official Gazette to notify the public of the intent to register the mark. During this period, any party can file for opposition for any number of reasons, but typically, the most common reason is if they believe the mark is too close to one of their own and may cause confusion.

The Fantastic Worlds mark was published on November 6th 2018, and less than a month later on December 4th, Warner Brothers filed a 30 day Request for Extension of Time to Oppose:

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This request was granted, so Warner Brothers then had until January 5th, 2019 to get their case together to file their opposition. However, it seems that the additional 30 days still wasn't enough time, because on January 3rd they filed yet another Request for Extension of Time to Oppose - this time for 60 days and this time with the added language of "for Good Cause" specifically citing the need for "additional time to confer with counsel":

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It should be noted that this case is being handled through the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), which is a a "kinder, gentler form of litigation. There are no court hearings in TTAB actions, as nearly all matters are handled in writing. The Board does not have authority to impose any monetary sanctions." So Warner Brothers isn't suing Universal or anything serious like that. They now have until March 6th to file their Notice of Opposition which will outline their case for why they believe "Fantastic Worlds" might infringe on their existing marks.

I think it's pretty obvious which mark(s) Warner Brothers thinks the name is too similar to, based on the initial knee-jerk reactions when the Fantastic Worlds mark was first filed.

What's most interesting to me, however, is the fact that any of this is necessary at all. You'd think that if Uni and WB were in discussions about the inclusion of Fantastic Beasts attractions in their new third park that the name of that third park might have come up. I guess it's possible Universal is really that secretive even when working with their largest IP partner, but it just seems like somewhat of an obvious discussion to have considering how similar the name is.

Anyway, we'll be sure to keep an eye on the TTAB side of things for any updates - but I figured this might spark some new, exciting discussion in the meantime!
 
To be frank, I would somewhat downplay what this could mean. I mean, @Quint did mention a little while back (I think a month or two), that Universal and WB had particular discussions internally on a positive note for the future of the WW's inclusion worldwide.

That's great to hear! I am glad that the scuttlebutt that still seems to be going around the studio system is seemingly unfounded in the theme park arena.

Back on page 19 of this thread @ParkRumors posted a nice summary with references as to what you are alluding to. :read::thumbsup:

Thank you, somehow I missed that particular page...dang.
 
To be frank, I would somewhat downplay what this could mean. I mean, @Quint did mention a little while back (I think a month or two), that Universal and WB had particular discussions internally on a positive note for the future of the WW's inclusion worldwide.
My information is based on limited licensing of FB merchandise and the long-term plan for the resort. This trademark issue is far from my scope of knowledge.
 
That new Lagoon in the plans looks very similar to what JPRA has.

Possible location of a flume ride?
It could be, although that lagoon is quite a bit larger in area than JPRA's.

Given the worlds rumored for the new park, which IP's would be a good fit for such a large scale water ride?
 
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