Topic summary
Spike TV
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Paramount Network.
Spike (2003–2018)
Three days before the planned launch date, film director and actorSpike Lee won a New York Supreme Courtinjunction preventing Viacom from using the "Spike TV” name. Lee claimed that due to his well-known popularity in Hollywood, viewers would therefore assume that he was associated with the new channel. Lee stated in court papers that: "The media description of this change of name, as well as comments made to me and my wife, confirmed what was obvious—that Spike TV referred to Spike Lee." Spike Jones Jr., son of comic musician Spike Jones, became a party to the lawsuit as part of Viacom's defense to protect the rights to his father's name. Most of the new programming would premiere on the originally-planned date as a soft launch; at this time, the TNN name and logo were downplayed in favor of the "First Network for Men" tagline. The suit was settled on July 8, 2003, with Lee admitting that he did not believe that Spike TV was intentionally trying to trade upon his name.