Kid Rock might put on one heck of a show, but he may not be able to call it the Greatest Show on Earth. The Detroit native is being sued by the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus owner Feld Entertainment, Inc., for trademark infringement, for use of the phrase.
The lawsuit, which also names Live Nation, the tour’s concert promoter, says neither Kid Rock nor Live Nation have the legal right to use the term
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“This historic trademark has been an important part of Ringling Bros. for the past century, and it is recognized as a trusted and iconic brand of family-friendly entertainment,” Feld Entertainment CEO Kenneth Feld says. “The Greatest Show On Earth continues to live on and will do so well into the future. We have no intention of surrendering the trademark or allowing it to be tarnished.”
The lawsuit is asking the court to intervene in stopping the singer from using the phrase, but for now, Kid Rock continues to use the phrase on his website. The tour, which includes A Thousand Horses as the opening act, kicks off on Jan. 19 in Kansas City, Mo.
Kid Rock is hitting the road, regardless of the tour name, in support of his latest album, Sweet Southern Sugar, which includes the song, “Greatest Show on Earth,” as well as his current single, “Tennessee Mountain Top.”
“What we strive for these days is trying to make classic records,” he told Billboard. “If I can make a few more classic records to stand the test of time, and that people play throughout my generation and hopefully beyond, that’s kind of what we really strive for. We hope to have radio hits and all that stuff, but we’ll see.”
A list of all of the shows on Kid Rock’s upcoming tour is available on his website.
Photo Credit: Instagram/KidRock
