Court approves lawsuit settlement between run organizer, Purdue
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A mini-marathon organizer sued by Purdue for using the university's name to promote its event has agreed to give up rights to the run's name and will not undertake any athletic promotions in Tippecanoe County for the next three years.
The lawsuit was filed Oct. 1 against Dean Reinke and his firm Reinke Sports Group, a Florida-based race promoter that was organizing an event called the Home of Purdue Half Marathon. Terms of the settlement were approved Monday (March 21) by Tippecanoe Circuit Court Judge Don Daniels.
"Purdue is pleased to report that settlement terms have been reached. Reinke Sports Group and Mr. Reinke have promised to stop all use of Purdue's name and trademarks and have agreed to allow judgment to be entered against them in Tippecanoe Circuit Court," said Teri Lucie Thompson, the university's vice president for marketing and media.
"Purdue filed this lawsuit reluctantly. The race organizers ignored requests to stop promoting their race as a Purdue event. All along, our only goal is that only a truly homegrown, Purdue-sponsored event should bear the Purdue name. We are confident that the community's concerns have been properly addressed, and we look forward to working with our community partners on future events."
Thompson said Purdue filed the suit after Reinke failed to respond to two formal letters asking him to stop using the university's name to promote his company's Oct. 24 run. Reinke Sports Group had originally planned to conduct the run in Lafayette, West Lafayette and on Purdue's campus. The event was moved to Flora after the cities and Purdue cited misgivings and denied permission for the run to take place on their properties.
Under the settlement terms, Reinke Sports Group has assigned its state trademark registration and federal trademark applications for Home of Purdue Half Marathon to Purdue. Reinke has assured Purdue that his company has paid its local bills from the Oct. 24 run. In addition, under the settlement Reinke and his company have agreed not to initiate a lawsuit related to the run against the cities, Greater Lafayette Commerce and the Lafayette-West Lafayette Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Source: Teri Lucie Thompson, 765-494-2082, tlthompson@purdue.edu