LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Arkansas Supreme Court has declined to stop a lawsuit filed by a Little Rock businessman who claims he owns the rights to the state lottery's name.
On Thursday, justices dismissed the appeal by the Arkansas Lottery Commission seeking to halt the lawsuit. Justices said a lower court did not rule on the lottery's claims that it has sovereign immunity because it's a state agency.
The ruling said the Supreme Court cannot consider the appeal until a Pulaski County judge has ruled on that issue.
Ed Dozier says he secured the trademarks to "Arkansas Lottery," ''Arkansas Lotto," and "Lottery Arkansas" in 1994. The state's lottery began in 2009, the year after voters approved creating the games to fund college scholarships.
Before then, Dozier used the name to sell novelty items.
©2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
