Paisano Publications LLC, the company behind Easyriders magazine, has filed a breach-of-contract suit against the owner of a Sturgis bar, saying the saloon has stopped using the Easyriders mark in violation of vendor and licensing agreements. Paisano is suing for the bar owners for over $2 million.
Paisano says it's entitled to a royalty of sales of food, beverage and merchandise and is the exclusive agent to sell vendor space adjacent to Easyriders Saloon & Steakhouse in downtown Sturgis. In the suit filed Friday, Paisano alleges that bar owners sent notice at the end of May to terminate the vendor agreement, claiming Paisano had materially breached the contract by failing to sell sufficient vendor space ahead of the 2012 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August. Paisano accuses the bar owners of breaching the contract by covering up the Easyriders logos with tarps, acting as their own sales agent for vendor space and improperly trying to terminate the vendor agreement.
