1. BEYONCE TO TAKE EVENT PLANNER TO COURT IN “BLUE IVY” TRADEMARK BATTLE: According to new court documents, Beyoncé argued her case for trademarking her daughter’s name, Blue Ivy, calling her daughter a “cultural icon,” amid an ongoing legal battle with wedding planner Wendy Morales. Beyoncé has been trying to trademark her daughter’s name for years, but Morales claims she was already using it; the two are slated to head to trial. The Blast: “Beyoncé says Morales claims ‘that consumers are likely to be confused between a boutique wedding event planning business and Blue Ivy Carter, the daughter of two of the most famous performers in the world, is frivolous and should be refused in its entirety.’ Beyoncé points out her trademark application is for ‘Blue Ivy Carter’ NOT ‘Blue Ivy.’ … Beyoncé says Morales runs a ‘small business, with just three regional offices and a handful of employees’, with weak online presence and poorly subscribed social media accounts.” 2. NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE WILL STOP USING PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES: Norwegian Cruise Line, the third-largest cruise company in the world, plans to switch its fleet from plastic bottles to paper water cartons by early 2020. The sustainability initiative will begin in November with the debut of the Norwegian Encore, a 4,000-passenger ship that will carry cartons of the brand Just Water. The company said the initiative will eliminate five million single-use plastic bottles per year. The New York Times: “The announcement by Norwegian, the third-largest cruise company, comes amid a flurry of new sustainability announcements in the travel industry as it and concerned groups—such as Prince Harry’s newly formed initiative, Travalyst—respond to pressure points that range from disaster recovery in the aftermath of massive hurricanes and increased wildfires to ‘flight-shaming’ of those consumers who travel by plane, requiring a large carbon-emissions footprint.” 3. JANN WENNER TO RETIRE AS CHAIRMAN OF ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME: Jann Wenner will step down as chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on January 1. Wenner, one of the founding members of the foundation and publisher of Rolling Stone magazine, will be replaced by iHeartMedia executive John Sykes. Billboard: “The annual induction ceremony is a major concert event that is broadcast by HBO. … Wenner, 73, will remain on the board of directors. Wenner produced the hall’s 25th anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden in 2009. The concert was headlined by U2, Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger, Stevie Wonder, and Sting.” |