Yosemite dispute settled, historic names returning
Trademark fight over, Ahwahnee, Wawona, others are back
The historical names of several sites at Yosemite National Park, including the iconic Ahwahnee Hotel and Curry Village, are being restored thanks to a legal settlement in a longrunning, muchwatched trademark battle.
In a $12 million deal announced Monday, Yosemite’s former concessionaire, Delaware North, agreed to relinquish its claimed ownership of the park names and other intellectual property, which it says it acquired during nearly 25 years of running restaurants, motels and other services at Yosemite.
The trademark claims, which park officials never agreed with, still prompted the park service in 2016 to rename the landmarks as well as alter slogans on Tshirts, ball caps and other souvenir merchandise. The changes infuriated park visitors, who — like park officials — were shocked that a private company could take hold of the names of such prized public property.
“We felt from the beginning that these place names belong to the sites and ultimately the American people,” said Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman. “The settlement is a positive way forward, not only to return the names but to end the (quarrel) and prevent anything like this from happening in the future.”
Already on Monday, park officials had removed a large, white tarp that had covered the original name of Curry Village, a campground in Yosemite Valley named after its founders who opened the rustic accommodations more than a century ago. Park officials said they were moving quickly to restore other monikers, but some could take weeks or months to relabel.
“There are websites and menus and inroom directories and things like that,” Gediman said.
Under the new legal settlement, the trademarks and other intellectual property claimed by Buffalo, N.Y.based Delaware North transfer immediately to Yosemite’s current concessionaire, Aramark of Philadelphia. When Aramark’s contract with Yosemite expires in 2031, the assets will transfer to the National
“It’s Christmas in July. It’s wonderful. When you attach yourself to Yosemite, like I have, it’s all about tradition.” Don Klosterman, Long Beach
Park Service.
The federal government is paying Delaware North $3.8 million for the exchange. Aramark is paying Delaware North $8.2 million.
Delaware North did not immediately return phone calls from The Chronicle. Aramark declined to comment, referring questions to the park service.
The trademark issue came to a head about four years ago. Delaware North’s decadeslong concessions contract with the park was about to expire and company officials notified the park service that if a new company was selected for the job, Delaware North wanted $51 million in compensation for its intellectual property.
Delaware North, unbeknown to the park service, had registered landmarks, slogans and marketing strategies at Yosemite with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The company said it had been forced to buy these assets from the prior concessionaire and wanted to protect its investment.
Among the registered intellectual property were the names of the Ahwahnee Hotel, Curry Village, the Badger Pass ski run and the Wawona Hotel. The sites were renamed, respectively, the Majestic Yosemite Hotel, Half Dome Village, Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area, and Big Trees Lodge. Despite new signs and commercial materials at these spots, many visitors continued to use the original titles.
Delaware North’s alleged property also included “Yosemite National Park” as an expression on hats, coffee cups and other gear. Since 2016, park products have simply read “Yosemite.”
The National Park Service ultimately selected Aramark to replace Delaware North as Yosemite’s concessionaire, a contract valued at $140 million annually and the most lucrative private arrangement in the park service. When Yosemite declined to pay Delaware North for its claimed intellectual property, the company sued the park service. The case has remained in federal court since.
Don Klosterman, a longtime park visitor who spent the weekend in Yosemite, was thrilled to hear that the original names were coming back. Like many, he had developed a sentimental attachment to the old monikers and viewed the trademarking as extortion.
“It’s Christmas in July,” the resident of Long Beach said. “It’s wonderful. When you attach yourself to Yosemite, like I have, it’s all about tradition. It’s something that’s bigger than anyone else, or any one company.”