Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians and the city’s roller derby Guardians have settled a lawsuit over rights to the Guardians name.
The Associated Press reported that both teams will be called the Guardians. The sides jointly announced an “amicable resolution” Tuesday. The other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The lawsuit was the final hurdle for the MLB team to continue its changeover to becoming the Guardians, a name chosen following a year-long process that sprang from a national reckoning over racist names and symbols.
Guardians MLB team settles lawsuit with roller derby club (from @AP) https://t.co/sM0ey61aRc
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) November 16, 2021
The legal scuffle had delayed the transition from the Indians — which the franchise has been known as since 1915 — to the Guardians.
Last month, the Cleveland Guardians roller derby team, which was formed in 2013, filed its lawsuit alleging the MLB team’s switch from Indians to Guardians infringed on its trademark and employed deceptive trade practices, violating a state law.
The Indians were hoping to have Guardians merchandise available to fans this month with the holidays approaching.
In early November, the baseball team began removing it’s “Indians” signage in and around Progressive Field.
