Major League Baseball Properties vs. Upper Deck heads to court on April 19

Major League Baseball Properties‘ lawsuit against Upper Deck regarding alleged misuse of MLB trademarks in three recently released baseball card sets will hit the courtroom not long after Opening Day, according to a statement issued Thursday evening to Beckett Media.

The statement from Matt Bourne, MLB’s Vice President of Business Public Relations is as follows:

“We are pleased that the Judge has expedited this case with the combined preliminary injunction hearing and trial beginning on April 19.  This signals that the Judge has taken our concerns about Upper Deck’s distribution of unauthorized cards very seriously.

“We are determined to put an end to Upper Deck’s unlawful use of our intellectual property which is causing confusion among consumers.  It is unfortunate that Upper Deck refused to give anyone involved the customary opportunity to review their product before distribution, because this situation could have been avoided altogether.  We remain confident that the Court will rule in our favor and protect our rights and those of our Clubs.”

On Feb. 1, MLB Properties filed a lawsuit in a New York federal court after assuring legal action on Jan. 29 after the release of two 2009 Upper Deck baseball card sets after its deal with MLBP had expired. The cards do not use MLB team logos or names as part of the designs, but do include photographs of players in their uniforms bearing team logos.

We’ll have more on this case in coming days as well as the latest in upcoming issues of Beckett Sports Card Monthly and Beckett Baseball.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball and Beckett Graded Card Investor. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com.