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Sturgis Trademark Dispute Trial Set To Begin On Monday

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — The trial for a four-year-old trademark dispute between Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Inc. and Rushmore Photo and Gifts and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is set to begin on Monday.

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Inc. is suing Rushmore Photo and Gifts and Wal-Mart over its Sturgis trademark.

The group says the trademark is needed to protect the quality of products connected with the rally that draws hundreds of thousands of people each year.

Rushmore Photo contends Sturgis is geographically descriptive and shouldn’t be trademarked.

The trademark infringement lawsuit was initially scheduled for trial in July, but the opposing sides asked U.S. Chief District Judge Jeffrey Viken to delay the trial because it would come too close to the annual motorcycle rally’s 75th anniversary in early August.