Atlanta BeltLine Inc. spent $350,000 to protect trademark

Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., who has recently gotten pushback for asking a woman to stop using the word “Beltline” in a Facebook group name, has spent more than $350,000 to protect its trademark since 2009.
In a Creative Loafing article highlighting the money spent on legal fees, David Schick argues the organization should focus on building the Beltline rather than policing its trademark. To read the entire story, click here.
A recent investigation by Atlanta Loop found that ABI has an inconsistent record of enforcing its trademark. While it aggressively pursues some businesses and entities, other have long used the name with no licensing agreements.
ABI says it has a fiduciary responsibility to protect the Beltline trademark in the interest of the public, and that it tries to prevent anyone from using the name.