Colorado resort sues over Salt Lake ski marketing

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Colorado ski resort says Salt Lake City can't market itself as Ski City USA because the winter sports title is already taken.

Steamboat Ski Resort contends Steamboat Springs, Colorado has long been known as Ski Town, U.S.A., and claims in a new lawsuit that Salt Lake tourism officials violated their trademark when they rolled out the Ski City marketing campaign last month.

The suit asks a federal judge to stop Salt Lake from using the Ski City title, which is the centerpiece of the $1.8 million campaign designed to lure skiers away from Colorado and other destinations.

A spokesman for the Colorado resort says Salt Lake is piggybacking off decades of work they've done building up the Ski Town brand. Utah tourism officials had no immediate comment.