[Editor's Note: This story has been altered to reflect that UL has continuously used the Ragin' Cajuns moniker since first adopting it in the 1960s. It has been brought to our attention that the name may have been used before then by a U.S. Marine Corps fighter squadron as early as 1950. We are trying to confirm the accuracy of that information.]
Discovery’s new reality series, Ragin’ Cajuns debuts Tuesday at 9 p.m. and follows the livelihood of shrimpers — in much the same vein as Deadliest Catch and Swamp People. The first episode, subtitled “White Gold,” is set in Venice.
But there may be a potential problem for the network: Ragin’ Cajuns is a federally registered trademark and service mark, just like Xerox or Q-tips. Because the nickname is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, UL has certain ownership and protection rights to the moniker.
“Our office is looking into it right now,” says Aaron Martin, UL’s director of communications and marketing, who was unaware of the potential infringement until contacted by The Independent in late December. “I do have a call into them. I’ve talked to their people, and they told me they are going to call me back.”
“I’m not thrilled about it,” Martin says, stressing there is likely not much that can be done to stop tonight’s premiere, even if there is an infringement. “If there is something we can do, it would probably be a cease and desist at some point if you can prove that it’s a violation.”
Martin, who Monday said he still poring over a thick document to better understand UL's rights, emphasized that trademarks are issued in categories or classes. “There are a bunch of things out there that use the term Ragin’ Cajuns; there have been songs, a movie, restaurants,” Martin continues. “I know if they start putting stuff on apparel, that gets a little bit, from what I understand, a little bit more definitive.”
The use of UL’s marks are controlled by its licensing program, which was initiated in 1988. The program is administered by Martin’s department, along with UL’s licensing agent, Collegiate Licensing Company. The program requires manufacturers to enter into an agreement with the university if they want to produce products bearing UL Lafayette’s name or trademarks.
UL Lafayette was the first to adopt and continuously employ the nickname Ragin’ Cajuns, using it initially in the 1960s to refer to its football team, according to both UL’s website and Wikipedia: “In 1963 football coach Russ Faulkinberry changed the nickname of the football team ‘Bulldogs’ to 'Ragin’ Cajuns.’ By the 1970s, the athletic department, the sports information director Bob Henderson and the student body picked up on the nickname,” Wiki notes. “As published in the 1974 football guide, the nickname became official that year.”
While UL assesses its rights, the rest of us might want to check out the new reality series, in which local shrimpers will discuss the challenges they face in the aftermath of the BP disaster. The show's executive producer told The Times-Picayune Ragin' Cajuns will be quite different from other popular TV series about hard-working men and women who make their living on the water:
We all know what’s on the other networks,” said French Horwitz, Discovery’s executive producer for the show, which comes from Los Angeles-based Gurney Productions. “This show is different and unique. It isn’t ‘Deadliest Catch’ in that these guys aren’t on the high seas in dangerous surroundings. And it’s not ‘Swamp People’ in that they’re not catching gators.
“It’s these special characters that make this show different from anything else that’s on our air. They are great guys, they’re guys that are doing what they’ve been doing for hundreds of years, and they’re trying to keep up with the tradition.
“This is a special show, unlike anything else that’s on the air right now.”
Fans of “Swamp People” will especially find it special, I suspect, in that the characters are both larger-than-life and true-to-life for the region. ... Much of what’s said in the premiere episode needs subtitles. And a few bleeps.
Read more from the T-P here.
JUNE 19 Former Saint Steve Gleason, who is paralyzed by ALS, released a statement Tuesday in response to the Atlanta radio station's skit making fun of him and the disease, this Picayune post reports. What did he say? He said he'd accepted the apology of the DJs who did it, notes that at least the incident has got people talking about ALS, and asks anyone who is burning to take action about it to do so -- by helping him fight ALS.
JUNE 19 Blogger Ian McGibboney takes a look at the Gleason incident in this post. He makes a good argument about the difference between having free speech and being free from consequences for your speech (which none of us is). He also admits that many of us got upset before we listened to the skit -- but lets us know that the reality is far worse than we can imagine. It was the incredibly bad judgment, even more than the actual speech, that probably got those DJs fired, he opines.
JUNE 19 Washington Post blogger Aaron Blake writes about Sen. Guillory's switch to the GOP in this post. He writes what most political watchers in Louisiana know: Guillory was a Republican before he decided to run for the senate seat in a mostly-D St. Landry district, and has switched back now that he plans to run for Lt. Gov. in a mostly-R state. But how come Blake missed Guillory's appearance on a TLC pageant show? Now that is a video we'd like to see. (Again).
JUNE 19 Here's another Washington Post blog post about a Louisiana politician, and it's just plain scathing. Ezra Klein says Jindal's Politico post was "insulting" to the intelligence of voters, and adds that Jindal is personifying the "stupid" he's railed against, by being an "elite" who convinces GOP activists of "things that aren't true." Me-ow.
JUNE 19 Here's Gov. Jindal's post in Politico, in which he asks the GOP to get over losing to Obama (again) and stop "the bedwetting." (Uh, what?) He gives his Republican buddies what is probably a nerd's idea of a coach's motivational talk, which starts with a list of accomplishments that they can't seem to exploit and ending with an absurd description of liberals that sounds like a character treatment for a Fox "News" movie scripted by Gordon Liddy. Sure, he's preaching to the choir, but even the choir's not this gullible.
JUNE 19 Lamar Parmentel read Gov. Jindal's post on Politico, but thinks it was so dumb it probably was published in the wrong paper. This post by Lamar on the Daily Kingfish opines that possibly Jindal's post was destined for the Onion -- because the governor couldn't possibly be serious here. If you listen closely, you can hear the staff of the Kingfish giggling.
JUNE 19 Blogger Robert Mann posts from Turkey, a country he has visited several times in the past few years. Mann gives an interesting overview of the current political and societal climate of the country, which -- if you're living under a rock and don't know -- is experiencing protests and turmoil these days. Mann promises to post as much as he can during his trip, which should be fascinating reading.
JUNE 19 Blogger CB Forgotston says the legislature is keeping the vicious cycle going with its funding of new buildings for the community college/technical college system. Universities across the state need maintenance and improvement on existing buildings, and the solution is to build new buildings at other schools? By the time the bonds are paid off, those buildings will be falling down, too, CB says.
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Or, see if ULL can turn this into an opportunity to promote the University via an international audience. If the University could utilize a relationship with Discovery to put a positive spin on "Ragin Cajun" and shed light on to all the great things our University has to offer.
I'd think it would be better to try and partner with Discovery rather than fight them. If they don't want to partner... then that's another story. 8-)