Indigenous Producers Face Trademark Battle Over Company Names Causing ‘Public Confusion’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International A trademark battle is brewing between two Indigenous North American producers over the use of an Indigenous descriptor in their respective company names. The bubbling dispute between Frisco, Texas-headquartered IndigiStudios — founded by actor Gary “Litefoot” Davis, known for his role as Little Bear in the 1995 film “The Indian in the Cupboard” — and Kelvin Redvers’ Vancouver-based IndigiFilm Media raises questions about the use and protection of cultural identity-based descriptors in corporate names. Canadian producer Redvers, a member of the Dene nation, set up film and TV production company IndigiFilm in June, with an eye on developing and producing scripted and unscripted projects in Canada and overseas.