In the latest move of an ongoing litigation battle, Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art has countersued a Swan Ball-associated nonprofit entity claiming the rights to the annual gala’s state trademark, contending the entity’s actions are “an assault on Cheekwood and the legacy of generations of volunteers and donors.”
In the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, Cheekwood argues it has full ownership — and not SB Initiative Inc. (SBI) — of the Swan Ball and that the issue is not about, as SB argues, a trademark but, rather, financial accountability.
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