| Updated: 9/03/2009 6:58 pm |
Published: 9/03/2009 3:53 pm |
A trademark fight is dividing Arkansas' oldest tourist destination. Folks in Hot Springs are in hot water for putting the name "National Park Arkansas" in their city logo. Thursday, the top boss over the U.S Park Service came to Hot Springs. There may be a compromise in the works.
There's no mistaking where Hot Springs gets its name. Visitors have flocked here for the hot spring water for centuries. Now it's this historic town's logo that's creating a 21st century controversy. The people in the business of attracting visitors say ordering the city to stop using the logo is ridiculous. Afterall the city surrounds the national park.
"We just want to continue to use it," said Steve Arrison.
But the National Park Service says it's not the city's logo to use. "The logo is used to represent businesses that have no relationship, no control, over goods and services that they provide," said Dan Wenk.
"There should not be, in my view, a Hot Springs National Park adult store," said U.S Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.
Thursday, Salazar was in the Spa City trying to forge a compromise. "The answer to that is that we need to find a way that puts the economic interests of the city at heart, and that protects the brand of the national parks," he said.
The city says they've used this logo since 1987 without anyone complaining so they should be able to continue to use it.
"We use it to represent the city in a correct manner," said Steve Arrison.
Until a decision is made, the logo will remain the trademark of this tourist destination.
The city trade marked the logo six years ago. Last year the Interior Department filed papers with the patent office to block the trademark. Interior Secretary Salazar has appointed a panel to come up with recommendations to lead to a resolution. The deadline is October 1.
