NOTUS Temporarily Blocked from Renaming as the Star Due to Trademark Dispute

A federal judge has temporarily blocked NOTUS from renaming itself the Star, granting a partial win to the revived Washington Star. U.S. District Judge Rossie Alston Jr. of Virginia issued a temporary restraining order requested by the Washington Star, which is restarting operations after going bankrupt in August 1981 and is contesting NOTUS's trademark name. In a 19-page lawsuit filed last week, the newspaper claims that NOTUS cannot rebrand as the Star without infringing on its trademark rights. The judge ruled that NOTUS cannot use the Star name but is not required to remove existing references to it from its website. The court's decision is a setback for NOTUS, which had planned to launch the rebrand this week. Representatives of NOTUS attempted to purchase the trademark from the Washington Star but could not reach an agreement. Dovid Efune, publisher of the Washington Star, expressed satisfaction with the ruling, emphasizing the importance of protecting the trademark. A hearing on the plaintiff’s motion for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for July 22, which will determine the future of NOTUS's rebranding efforts.