Baudette, Minnesota is making a bold move in the normally slow, simmering fracas between at least seven towns over the location of the "Walleye Capital of the World." The small, lakeside town in northern Minnesota is in the process of trademarking the phrase, which might prevent other fish-crazed communities from making the same claim.

RoadsideAmerica.com has reported over the years on assorted contenders for the title in our Walleyed War of the Walleye Capitals. Most towns seemed blissfully unaware of other claimants, or didn't mind.

Now Baudette appears to have cast the competition into the dark waters of disputed intellectual property. The Escanaba Daily Press points out that the town of Bays de Noc (who we didn't even know about) considers itself the "Walleye Capital of the World" despite Baudette's move. Other fish-proud towns are prepping their longships for warfare, though it seems Walleye town officials are stirred up only as local media asks them to respond to the Baudette trademark news...

Baudette's trademark has already been approved by the state of Minnesota, exclusive for ten years use. Next step: application for a registered US trademark, which would lock up the title for... a very long time.

[03/10/2007]