Couldn’t the pastor sue for libel? Assuming he doesn’t rape children.
Frivolous lawsuits are bad no matter what the reason.
They aren’t using it for parody. Just like the guy who ripped off “This Land is Your Land” for a political cartoon wasn’t. If you aren’t parodying the subject of the work, then you are not using it in fair use. Just like the guy wasn’t parodying the song, the concept of the song, or the lyrics, they aren’t parodying the mascot, the team, or even the concept of the team.
And, anyways, this is trademark abuse, not copyright infringement. Even parody can get you in trouble there.
There’s a reason the response said that they weren’t sponsoring this event, rather than just being upset about the use of their work without permission.
A lawsuit that could prevent these people spreading hate propaganda against gays and lesbians is not frivolous.
If they tried to associate my name with any of their pronouncements, I would take every legal step required to ensure that they were not allowed to do that under any circumstances. Go, Notre Dame!
As a lifelong ND fan (grew up Catholic in northern IN), thanks Baker. I’ll toss in a few extra bucks in your honor when I’m hit up during the annual fund drive this year. 