Kentuck Museum Sues Northport Business Over Unauthorized Use of Name

Owners of the Kentuck Museum in Northport are suing a newly opened local business over the unauthorized use of their trademarks.

Kentuck is, of course, the arts-focused nonprofit that operates workshops and retail spaces in downtown Northport and is known around the world for organizing the annual Festival of the same name.

Their beef is with Kentuck Nutrition, a new business that opened on McFarland Boulevard in Northport at the end of last year.

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In a lawsuit filed last month, attorneys for Kentuck Museum said the nonprofit has been in business for more than 50 years and "has touched the lives of tens of thousands of people from diverse walks of life in the local, regional and national communities."

They argue that Kentuck has aggressively sought to protect its brands and owns trademarks in both Alabama and with the United States Patent and Trademark Office protecting the Kentuck name.

The Museum team alleges that entrepreneurs Cathy Logan and her husband Jay Logan "are not now, nor have they ever been, authorized to use the Kentuck Marks," and refused to discontinue use of the name after the issue was raised last year.

The legal team for Kentuck Museum filed a four-count lawsuit accusing the Logans of violating the federal Lanham Act and three parts of Alabama law.

The lawsuit asks for a jury trial and requests the Logans be made to immediately discontinue the use of the Kentuck trademarks, destroy all materials that have used the name, and to pay compensatory damages and court costs.

The case was filed in the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County, where it is currently assigned to judge Brad Almond.