The law firm SHAUB, WILLIAMS & NUNZIATO LLP, representing Riles & Co., threatened us with a lawsuit for infringing on Trademark Registration

numbers 1,552,980, 1,878,680 & 1,522,980 for the word "Three-Peat".

This is former Los Angeles Lakers coach Pat Riley, who obtained a trademark for the term

"Three-Peat" when the Lakers were hoping to beat the Detroit Pistons in the 1989 NBA Finals, but didnt. Yet when the Chicago Bulls three-peated

twice, and when Kobe and Shaq finally pulled it off for the Lakers in 2002, Riley was the only one allowed to put the word "Three-Peat" on a

t-shirt.

TrojanWire is not even using the exact term "Three-Peat" (which is public vernacular anyways the same way "You’re Fired" or "That’s

Hot" is).

Apparently Pat Riley, Donald Trump and Paris Hilton believe it is their right to own common words.

We do not, but there is little recourse for small or even larger operations when faced with the threat of intellectual property infringements. Penalties

for copyright infringement can potentially reach $150,000 per work.

We are working on designing our way around the issue, but as of right now, there is no way to buy a "Three-Pete" shirt to show your support for

Pete Carroll’s 2005 Trojans accomplishing what Pat Riley’s 1989 Lakers couldn’t.