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A small business fights to keep its logo

Posted at 6:40 PM, Mar 23, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-23 22:33:25-04
A small business owner here in the valley is fighting to save his company, taking on a multi-million dollar corporation trying to strip him of his logo.
 
Michael Palmieri has owned Dominate Your Game, a gym on the southwest side of the valley, for a few years. He says he’s used to the ups and downs of running a company, but he hasn’t seen the upside in a while.
 
"It's been really tough," said Palmieri.
 
He says the rough patch began months ago when he tried to trademark the gym's logo, filing a request with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
 
"This logo has become part of who we are," he says.
 
Days after he filed, the luxury watch company Omega SA filed an opposition to request because both of their logos include the omega symbol, a letter of the Greek alphabet.
 
“It was something I didn't even think of," Palmieri said.
 
In searching the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's website, 13 Action News found that Omega SA has filed dozens of oppositions to companies that seek to trademark a logo that includes the symbol. 
 
It's a battle that requires legal representation. For a new business like Dominate Your Game, money isn't falling out of the sky just yet.
 
"It's me and my couple of employees," said Palmieri.
 
Palmieri calls it "bullying at its best,” similar to the battle of David and Goliath, as Omega SA is a multi-million dollar company. The two companies were scheduled to present their arguments in administrative court on March 19, but Omega SA requested an extension.
 
"They know the longer they drag it out, the more money I'm going to have to keep spending."
 
He almost threw in the towel, but he's decided he's not giving up. He's creating a GoFundMe account later this week.
 
13 Action News reached out to Omega's spokeswoman for comment and she has not responded.