The sometimes cornery Uncle Si is at it again, setting off trouble by saying something that he probably didn't realize would stir things up. This time the Robertsons and A&E may find themselves in court.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, it all started when Uncle Si made a comment about loving camouflage. "My favorite color is camouflage" he said, and that little comment made its way on to merchandise of all kinds. That seems innocent enough right? The issue is that a company called Hajn already sells items with a very similar slogan which they have trademarked.
It's no secret that A&E has merchandising deals just about everywhere you look to sell Duck Dynasty gear. You can find Duck Dynasty goods at Walmart, Sears, Kohl's, Sports Authority, Target and in many other stores. According to the HR article,The deal with Walmart is said to have generated $400 million for A&E last year alone.
The plaintiff in the lawsuit, which has been selling a line of clothing that's marketed with, "My Favorite Color's Camo", wants A&E to back off thier words. The company has a registered trademark and reports gaining national visibility with its mark. They claim A&E never responded to a cease and desist letter.
One would think A&E would like to settle the dispute as quickly and quietly as possible, but the lawsuit is not that threatening to the Robertson family, or the network that has made a lot of money off the show already. After all, the entire program is based around how they make plenty of money in the duck call business. Also, it has been widely reported that the family has been offered other opportunities outside of the reality TV program.
There is no doubt that a lot of money is generated from merchandise, though. At the end of the day, Hajn has gotten a lot of exposure for their brand just by suing A&E and Duck Dynasty. At this point it's hard to determine exactly what Hajn is requesting, but chances are Duck Dynasty shirts that say "my favorite color is camouflage" will be pulled from store shelves soon.
