Trademart dispute settled

East Carolina University and the owners of Skully’s, a Greenville business, announced today (Sept.26) that they settled their dispute over the use of a Skully’s design with the university’s purple and gold colors.

University Attorney Ben Irons said ECU has agreed to drop the federal trademark infringement lawsuit that it filed two weeks ago against Skully’s.

Skully’s owners, Thomas and Rebecca Ives, have agreed not to sell products carrying their skull-and-crossbones design in purple and gold unless the “Skully’s” trade name also appears prominently on the products.

“The compromise is a constructive arrangement that protects all the parties’ interests,” Irons said.

“Futhermore, both parties have come away from the negotiations with great respect for each other,” he said. “ECU values Skully’s as an important member of the Greenville business community, and we believe that Skully’s recognizes the university’s interests in protecting its trademarks and service marks.”