There’s good news regarding one of our favorite trademark stories of 2011. Thanks to the original New York Times story, we wrote last June that the town of Nederland, CO, had put the trademark for its annual winter festival — Frozen Dead Guy Days — up for sale. In an update in the NY Times, we read that the trademark has indeed been sold and Frozen Dead Guy Days will continue to be held this year!
Yes, the Nederland Area Chamber of Commerce had decided it could no longer manage the event, which reportedly draws thousands of people. It sold the trademark to a local event planner, Amanda MacDonald (the price paid is unknown). She plans to hold the event, March 2 – 4, and has plans to add some new features, like paid VIP sponsorships and snowy beach volleyball games. Never fear though, the traditional frozen salmon toss, coffin races, and parade of hearses remain firmly on the event schedule.
You may be asking, “Who is this ‘dead guy’?” Let’s do a little review for those who didn’t read our earlier post on this subject. He’s 89-year-old Bredo Morstoel, a Norwegian, who died back in 1989. His family brought his body to Nederland, supposedly planning to open a cryogenics business. Some local newspapers reported that Morstoel’s family simply froze him, hoping that technology would eventually evolve to reanimate him. Whatever the reason, Morstoel’s been packed in dry ice and stored in a shed outside Nederland since 1993. And voilà — a festival to mark the beginning of the end of winter was born!
Are you headed to Frozen Dead Guy Days this year? Beware, the average temperature in Nederland in March ranges between 11° and 41° F. If it’s not on your travel schedule, enjoy a look at last year’s festivities:
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Because you guys are into TMs and brands….I’ll mention that the sale of the trademark was probably bogus. The Chamber may have thought it had a legit trademark to sell, but the truth is, *I* have the TM on the name from “common use” years before they filed. I chose not to exercise my rights, if the buyer was local and vowed to keep it local. When Amanda stepped up and discussed it with me, I decided to allow it to happen without any interference. But, I reserved my right to exercise my rights at a future time….thus, as far as I’m concerned, the festival will always be small and local. Just thought you folks might be interested in the background….