The world’s most famous groundhog has become embroiled in a trademark dispute, it has been reported.
According to Reuters, images of Punxsutawney Phil and Gobbler’s Knob were used without permission in a recent Super Bowl advertisement featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As such, the trademark owners, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, hired a local law firm to pursue an infringement lawsuit.
Ultimately, the two sides opted to settle the matter out of court, with an undisclosed amount of compensation paid to the trademark owners.
Mike Johnston, club vice-president, said the matter had now been “put to bed,” with the network granted a one-time license to use the Punxsutawney Phil trademark.