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Judge Rules In Favor Of Vikings In "Photo-Bombing" Dispute With Wells Fargo

The Vikings have "smacked down Wells Fargo in a dispute over 'photo-bombing' signs near the new U.S. Bank Stadium," according to Rochelle Olson of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank told Wells Fargo on Thursday "to remove illuminated, elevated signs from the rooftops of two 17-story office towers near the Vikings' new home in downtown Minneapolis." Frank also "ordered Wells Fargo to pay the team's legal fees stemming from the dispute, saying that Wells Fargo breached a contract." Frank found that Wells Fargo "'likely believed' that its signs violated a two-year agreement with the team regarding what was permitted on the rooftops of the towers where 5,000 employees work daily." The judge "agreed with the Vikings that the signage contract 'unambiguously' prohibits illuminated or mounted rooftop signs, but allows signs painted flush on each rooftop no larger than 56-by-56 feet." Under the legislation passed to build the stadium, the Vikings "had control of an area surrounding" the $1.1B building. Wells Fargo "argued the contract was 'silent' on whether the rooftop signs could be raised and illuminated." Frank "disagreed, saying that the contract specifically allowed illuminated signs on other parts of the building." While the dispute centered on rooftop signs, the "bigger concerns are money and image." U.S. Bank Stadium paid the Vikings "undisclosed millions for the naming rights to the building." The U.S. Bank logo is "visible from the sky above the massive building." The Vikings in their lawsuit said that Wells Fargo "was trying to insert itself into the image of the new building with more prominent signs" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 6/24). In St. Paul, Jaime DeLage notes Frank’s order "leaves open the possibility that Wells Fargo can install flat, painted roof signs as specified in the bank’s original agreement with the team, but not the raised and lit signs it installed last year" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 6/24).

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