The City of Vernon has given the green light to a children’s author wishing to use the legendary Okanagan lake monster in a sequel 35 years in the making.
Don Levers self-published Ogopogo: The Misunderstood Lake Monster in 1985 selling more than 25,000 copies and now, he’s back with a sequel, but because the city has the copyright to the word Ogopogo, he needed permission from the city.
The City of Vernon obtained copyright in July 1956 from Arthur Gilbert (Gill) Seabrook.
Seabrook, who worked nearly 30 years as CJIB’s (Beach Radio) general manager, had obtained the registered trademark for the word in part of a marketing-promotion effort in 1952, “much to the chagrin of Kelowna and other Okanagan cities,” his 2010 obituary reads.
The rights were then offered to the City of Vernon where, according to the obit, they remained dormant.
Now, Levers has been granted permission to use the word again for his upcoming book, and possibly even a cartoon, starring the famed monster, so long as Vernon is acknowledged in a prominent and suitable location.
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