A group calling themselves “Concerned Macau Residents Group” yesterday filed a lawsuit against Las Vegas Sands for the use of certain trademarks.
The lawsuit asks the courts to cancel “and or declare that certain trade marks registered by Sands are not registrable according to Macau Law and applicable international convention.”
The trademarks the group is seeking to have cancelled include “Cotai Strip”, “Asia's Las Vegas”, “Cotai Tours”, “CotaiJet”, “Cotai Strip CotaiLimo”, “Cotai Strip CotaiArena” as well as “Cotai Strip CotaiRewards Club.”
“As Macau people, we believe that such expressions are generic and descriptive terms, hence non-registrable and belong to the common heritage of Macau people and businesses,” the group said in an email sent out to local and Hong Kong media yesterday.
According to the group, “the suit is grounded on the fact that these 'trademarks' should never be granted to any given entity as they must be available for use by any person.”
“Following the above, we [the Concerned Macau Residents Group] believe that Sands and Venetian Group has no right or basis to preclude Macau people and businesses from using such expressions in the course of business,” it added.