A Lapeer County, Mich., brokerage has changed its name from “Pure Michigan Real Estate” to the less catchy but more litigation-proof “Real Estate Security Corp.”

The Michigan Economic Development Corp., a “quasi-state agency,” filed a federal lawsuit against the brokerage last year, saying it holds the trademark on “Pure Michigan,” which it uses for a national ad campaign promoting the state as a tourist destination.

Mark Gillim, whose father owns the brokerage, a representative with the real estate company, told MLive that the company has changed its name and unpublished a Facebook page that used the Pure Michigan trademark.

The MEDC, which encourages businesses to use the Pure Michigan logo, dropped its suit against the brokerage, but is “working through the list of other companies currently using the Pure Michigan name somehow, in violation of our trademark protections,” a spokeswoman told the Detroit News. Source: detroitnews.com.

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