Report: Red Sox May Be Sued By Charitable Foundation Over Use Of 'B Strong' Logo
BOSTON (CBS) -- In the days that followed last April's Boston Marathon bombing, a major part of the recovery process for people in and around Boston came from the city's sports teams. The "Boston Strong" message was a loud one, and both the Bruins and Red Sox captured the spirit of the city. The sporting events were the largest gatherings of people in the city in the days that followed the bombing, and the messages of resilience carried throughout both teams' seasons and long postseason runs.
For the Red Sox, that meant a shortened message -- "B Strong" -- using the team's famous "B" logo. It was a message of strength and solidarity, however it now has them in some legal trouble.
The El Paso Times reported this week that the Braden Aboud Memorial Foundation is considering taking legal action against the Red Sox for the team's use of "B Strong," a message the foundation trademarked seven years ago.
"We're at an impasse and I'm afraid soon we will be going to court over it," Gary Aboud told the El Paso Times. "It's a David versus Goliath battle."
The foundation was made in honor of Braden Aboud, who died in a skiing accident, and it provides financial assistance to multiple organizations near El Paso, Texas.
"They have sold that on merchandise and made money over it. They give the money to charities, but we're not included on that list," Gary Aboud told the newspaper. "It is becoming almost a full-time job to protect this name."
The report said the foundation may resort to filing a lawsuit in the coming months if an agreement cannot be reached. The report also includes this note: "In 2011, the Braden Aboud Foundation had to ask the family of Belinda Hernandez, a former Chapin High School softball player who died from brain cancer, to not use 'Bee Strong' while gathering cancer donations because of the trademark."
The Red Sox made a statement on the matter, saying they had been "unaware that the amicable discussions being had with the Braden Aboud Foundation were not progressing to resolve the matter."
"The Red Sox look forward to further such discussions and to a positive resolution -- one that would, among other things, allow our distinct charitable interests mutually and successfully to co-exist," the team said.
The Red Sox posted the "B Strong" logo on the Green Monster in left field, and they wore a patch with the same logo on their jersey sleeves throughout their run to a World Series victory.