SEATTLE — A University District punk rock bar, The Kraken Bar & Lounge, is suing Seattle’s new hockey team for $3.5 million, accusing the Seattle Hockey Partners of trademark infringement and alleging the organization is harming its brand.
The Kraken Bar & Lounge was using the name “Kraken” long before the NHL decided to bring a team here. According to court documents filed Thursday afternoon, the bar says the NHL’s new team name “Seattle Kraken” has caused confusion, leading some people to think the bar is affiliated with the team. The suit said owners have been building the brand, creating merchandise and advertising since 2011.
In fact, the punk rock band “The Subjunctives” have a music video tribute to the Kraken Bar & Lounge.
“Just wanted to tell that story but also celebrate the space,” said Ean Hernandez, lead singer for The Subjunctives. “That bar The Kraken is 100 percent about punk and metal and really just gives a home,” he said.
He says pre-pandemic they performed at the Kraken Bar & Lounge monthly.
“It’s sort of like the coral reef for the little fish. If we don’t have that, there’s not going to be another Pearl Jam,” Hernandez said. “I think this space is a key thing — along with a few others left in the town — for us to protect,” he said.
Last year in July of 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, owners of the dive bar say they were barely hanging on.
Then the NHL announced the name of Seattle’s new hockey team — the Seattle Kraken.
The owners say there was immediate confusion from customers and found it started getting pushed out online.
“When we can have live music again, touring bands need to be able to find us. We are already buried. It used to be when you look up Seattle Kraken you’d find us. Now it’s impossible,” said Kat Colley, one of the owners of the bar.
Then a couple of weeks ago, the people behind the hockey team announced it’s planning to open a restaurant called “The Kraken Bar & Grill” at the Northgate training facility just over 3 miles away.
“It didn’t feel real. We saw this and we were like no way — it’s exactly the same. It’s exactly the same!” Colley said.
That pushed the owners of the dive bar to file a lawsuit.
The suit says the owners poured their life savings into building the brand of the Kraken Bar and Lounge, including merchandise and advertising.
“You feel forgotten, you feel stomped on and to have your friends and family in the community come up and stand there with you and say this isn’t right — you’re our original Kraken — it’s gotten us through and makes us feel seen,” Colley said.
However, the lawsuit is already bringing backlash from some hockey fans, prompting some to leave negative reviews.
“You share the same name as a future hockey team in the city and instead of embracing the free marketing you choice to sue them. I will never go to your bar as a hockey fan And season ticket holder,” wrote Rob D. on Yelp.
Seattle Hockey Partners said, as of Friday afternoon, it still had not been served with the lawsuit and added it doesn’t comment on pending litigation.
Cox Media Group
