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Coachella hits ‘Floatchella’ with cease-and-desist

A small town US music festival has changed its name after being served with a cease-and-desist letter by organisers of Coachella.

Held in Mystic, Connecticut, Floatchella is run by the Mystic Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Mystic Merchants Association and features local bands and a pop-up paddle-craft rally. Its first two editions drew “over 300 paddle craft in the water and scores of people watching on land”.

However, the festival has now been renamed Floatfest, Music on the Mystic River following a complaint from Coachella promoter AEG Presents. It must also dispose of any merchandise bearing the Floatchella logo.

“The Chamber was surprised that our non-profit in the southeast corner of Connecticut garnered the attention of AEG Worldwide”

“The Chamber was surprised that our non-profit in the southeast corner of Connecticut garnered the attention of AEG Worldwide for a Coachella naming situation,” Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce president Bruce Flax tells CelebrityAccess. “The event was never mistaken as having any association to Coachella for the 1,500 people who attended the last two years. We will lose some money form the merchandise we need to dispose of, but we will weather the storm and the event will live on as Floatfest, Music on the Mystic River.”

AEG has not commented on the case.

It is not second time in recent months that Coachella has moved to protect its trademark. Last year, Goldenvoice sued Live Nation over a music event called ‘Coachella Day One 22’, organised by Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians, which was advertised on Ticketmaster.

 


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