The Barber Shop Blackstone bar in Omaha, Nebraska, may offer hair of the dog, but it won’t cut your hair.
That’s why, according to The New York Times, the bar has been hit with legal action by the Nebraska Board of Barber Examiners, which argues that its name and use of a signature red, white and blue barber pole violates the “barbershop” trademark.
“Barbering is an ancient and proud profession, and their symbols have long been reserved for their sole use for the benefit of public health and safety,” the board said in a brief. “Plaintiff has chosen to use these symbols in a knowingly deceptive fashion that violates Nebraska law and infringes on the Barber Board’s trademarks.”
“I never, in a million years, thought the state Board of Barber Examiners would come after us,” bar co-owner Mike DiGiacomo tells the Times.
The bar’s owners have since filed their own lawsuit, alleging their First Amendment rights have been violated.
In the meantime, the Barber Shop Blackstone is currently known as the Censored Shop Blackstone.