Feds drop trademark claim against Range Riders

The federal government has dropped its complaint against the Glacier Range Riders baseball team's use of an arrowhead logo that is similar to the National Park Service emblem, team officials said Tuesday. 

The dispute arose in 2022 after the Park Service said the Range Riders' logo too closely resembles the agency’s arrowhead emblem and could cause confusion about governmental affiliation, pointing to the Kalispell-based team’s proximity to nearby Glacier National Park. 

The team maintained that the arrowhead shape is a generic design used by numerous organizations -- including the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs -- and does not infringe on the Park Service's trademark. 

The team's logo is a white arrowhead with black trim and the letters "RR" in the middle. The Park Service emblem is also an arrowhead, but depicts a buffalo, tree and mountain with the words "National Park Service” in white lettering on a brown background. 

According to the team, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office dismissed the federal government's initial protest and approved the Range Riders’ logo, yet the Park Service continued to pursue its claim. 

Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, brought the issue to Congress last year and pressed then Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on the disagreement, which he described as "trademark bullying." 

“This is a big deal and it's a big deal because it's an example of big government, their actions, having an effect locally,” Zinke said at the time. 

Range Riders officials said the legal battle would have been costly and possibly "insurmountable for most small, community-driven businesses." 

“This was an important fight, not only for securing our right to the arrowhead logo, but also ensuring this universal symbol remains open for others to use,” said Chris Kelly, president of the Glacier Range Riders.  

“With the withdrawal of the NPS claim, we’re free to focus on what matters most – bringing families together, creating lasting memories and celebrating the region’s rich heritage through the game of baseball.” 

In a statement to the Inter Lake, Zinke called the case a "textbook example of federal overreach."

"This was a bogus lawsuit against a family-owned local baseball team that, honestly, the feds had no grounds to pursue in the first place," he said.

"I look forward to another great season and will be rocking my arrowhead hat proudly."

According to the team, the Range Riders’ logo is inspired by the history of the range riders who protected the Flathead National Forest Reserve before the establishment of Glacier National Park. 

The Pioneer Baseball League team kicks off its season on May 20 at Glacier Bank Park north of Kalispell.