Convention bureau delays request on rival comic show

The Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau has postponed its request for a temporary restraining order against a rival comic convention.

The bureau was seeking to stop Space City Comic Con from using “Space City” to market its threeday convention over Memorial Day weekend. The bureau pointed to its ownership of the trademark “Space City” for 12 years.

Lawyers for the bureau, which owns a 50 percent stake in another show known as Comicpalooza, appeared before U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas on Monday.

Atlas, who noted the plethora of businesses in the Houston area that use “Space City” as part of their names, said she wasn’t prepared to shut down Space City Comic Con. She suggested to George Comits, owner of Space City Comic Con, that he might add a disclaimer to tickets, brochures, social media and other advertising that the show is not associated with the convention bureau.

Atlas offered to consider the bureau’s request for a restraining order later in the week. A hearing was scheduled for Wednesday but was later canceled at the bureau’s request. It has not been rescheduled.

Comits said he is pleased the trademark issue appears to be on hold.

On a recent news release, Comits added a new disclaimer: “Space City Comic Con is NOT associated in any way with the Greater Houston Convention & Visitor’s Bureau.”

Bureau president Mike Waterman rejected the notion that comic show competition played any role when the bureau decided to file its trademark infringement lawsuit earlier this year.

The dispute will eventually get worked out, Waterman said this week.