Two Las Vegas strip clubs will soon get down and dirty in the courtroom over alleged name infringement.
Spearmint Rhino, a collection of adult entertainment clubs since 1992 with a Las Vegas locations near the Strip, has taken umbrage with competitor Peppermint Hippo, alleging that their name infringes on the former’s trademark because the names are “confusingly similar,” according to a complaint filed in the U.S. Distract Court of Nevada.
Peppermint Hippo opened its Las Vegas location in April 2022, and Founder/CEO Alan Chang told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that year that the club was named after a fictional club in the animated television series “South Park.”
“We just thought it was hilarious,” Chang said in 2022, adding he figured if he ever opened a club of his own, “that’s what I’ll call it.”
However, Spearmint Rhino isn’t laughing. They believe that the name was chosen “with the intention to create an association with the Spearmint Rhino marks,” said the group in a 2023 complaint.
“(Peppermint Hippo and Chang) have unfairly benefited through their acts of trademark infringement including by redirecting consumer traffic to Defendant’s location” and by benefiting from their reputation and substantial advertising, according to the complaint.
Both Sides Pushing For Jury Decision
Lawyers for Peppermint Hippo denied the allegations in a January 31 court filing, and both parties are seeking a trial by jury. Spearmint Rhino is seeking a judgement that cancels Peppermint Hippo’s trademark and awards the company damages based on the profits earned from Peppermint Hippo’s acts, while Chang and his team believe both entities can co-exist.
“The Strip club war is on! We won’t let this ridiculous lawsuit discredit us,” Chang said in a statement. “In the wild, hippos and rhinos co-exist. Why not Vegas?”
Chang certainly seems to be enjoying the extra attention that the lawsuit is bringing to Peppermint Hippo, and it will be interesting to see if a jury feels that a parody name is actually harmful to Spearmint Rhino. We’ll keep tabs on the lawsuit as it plays out, but we have to agree with Chang on this one. If rhinos and hippos can co-exist in the wild, why can’t they exist elsewhere?
For legal help in the greater Twin Cities area, we hope you’ll connect with Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm at (952) 224-2277.
