So let me get this straight.
WWE owns the word "extreme"? Even EVOO....er, EV 2.0?
Everyone knows that they have the legal right to the letters ECW; but now WWE, not being content to annhiliate TNA in buyrates, PPVs revenue, weekly ratings, and pretty much everything else short of match quality from time to time, now has intellectual property/copyright lawyer Jerry McDevitt chomping at the bit... suggesting that even a reference to ECW may infringe on copyrights.
Late last week, WWE intellectual property/copyright attorney Jerry McDevitt said in an interview to Newsday's Alfonso Castillo regarding TNA's Hardcore Justice that: "WWE is the sole owner of the ECW marks, and as with all of WWE's intellectual property it will be vigorously protected. TNA acts at its peril if it infringes upon WWE's rights."
(Note: this column is written and first posted on Sunday morning...) For God's sakes...does McDevitt want to have a process server slap fans with a lawsuit if they chant "ECW"? Does Tommy Dreamer have to shush fans if they DO chant it?
WWE getting self-righteous about this reminds me of a little child breaking a toy when it's about to be taken away by their parent, so no one else can play with the toy either. WWE couldn't make money with their bastardized WWECW show, so any show that might give a few guys a payday (and trust me, TNA isn't going to wind up making money off of this) should somehow be threatened. If it weren't for the PPV industry probably telling WWE to back off, I wouldn't be surprised if WWE would have tried to kill the show at the last minute to kill off TNA.
Hell, I use the phrase ECW Arena every time when referring to the building at Swanson and Ritnet in south Philadelphia. Becasuse that's what it is. Mind you, I'm not trying to make money by doing it as McDevitt is alleging TNA is doing. But these guys DID work for ECW. That's a fact. Is WWE going to say that Mike Tenay and Taz can't acknowledge someone as a former ECW Heavyweight Champion? Pre-determined as a title reign may be, someone having the belt is a statement of historical fact.
Before I get the inevitable e-mails scolding me...yes, I understand the concept of intellectual property. And yes, I agree that this PPV won't accomplish much, since it was no doubt done with the thought that Paul Heyman would be coming in alongside the former ECW talent...and without Heyman running the show, it's little more than a payday for the former ECW talent. It won't help TNA's long-term problems with lack of coherent storylines and profitability
But isn't this threat by McDevitt to sue if those those three little letters are somehow used WAY past overkill?