Prestige Resorts & Destinations, Ltd. has filed a formal complaint for trademark infringement and unfair competition against Hilton Hotels Corporation in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. Prestige Resorts & Destinations, Ltd., which has been using its federally-registered “Prestige” marks for decades in connection with luxury resort and hotel destination planning services, contends that Hilton’s recently-announced branding effort using the mark “Hilton Prestige Portfolio” is likely to cause confusion and mistake among members of the trade and the public.
Blair McKeever, President and CEO of Prestige Resorts & Destinations, Ltd. said, “It was necessary for us to take this action to protect our name, which we have built for more than 25 years in the hospitality industry. Trademark laws are designed to prevent confusion on part of the public. With two competing hospitality companies using the same name, the public is misled,
confused and deceived.”
Hilton answered back in very short order in a prepared statement: “Hilton intends to vigorously defend its right to label its luxury and life style collection of hotels the Hilton Prestige Portfolio and has filed an answer denying the allegations of the complaint filed by Prestige Resorts & Destinations,” says Robert Allegrini, vice president of Communications for The Americas, Hilton Hotels Corp.
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