Toronto is buzzing as the Blue Jays return to the World Series for the first time in 32 years. Bars across the city are packed with fans, but one downtown landmark watering hole has discovered that even a small show of team pride can have legal consequences.
Sneaky Dee’s, a College Street favourite known for its nachos and live music, was contacted by the Blue Jays organization late last week after it shared a social media post featuring the team’s logo.
“We’re not even a sports bar,” said George Diamantouros, the bar’s manager, in an interview with CBC Toronto (1). “We’re just accommodating what’s going on, the spirit of the city right now.”
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Diamantouros said he made the post to let patrons know the bar would be showing the Jays games. The Blue Jays logo appeared as a sticker suggestion from the Meta app.
A short time later, the bar received an email from the Toronto Blue Jays — owned by Rogers Communications — instructing them to delete the post. The message said using the logo infringed on the “Rogers Blue Jays Baseball Partnership” trademark.
Why the logo is off-base
In a statement to CBC Toronto, the Blue Jays confirmed that their logo and player images are protected trademarks and may only be used by official partners. “This is standard practice,” the organization said in the statement, while encouraging businesses to keep celebrating and watching the games.
Diamantouros said he immediately took down the post to avoid any trouble.
“I really don’t understand why it was even on their radar to begin with,” he said. “We didn’t think there was any problem with it. There was no ill will intended.”
He later reposted a screenshot of the warning email to alert other small businesses about the risk of using team branding online.
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Swing and a miss — The legal and financial risk of getting it wrong
According to Jordana Sanft, a Toronto-based intellectual property lawyer, businesses need to be careful when using logos — even for what seems like harmless promotion.
“Trademarks cannot be used by businesses to promote goods, services or generate profit without permission from the brand,” she told CBC (2). Individuals, however, are generally free to display logos in personal posts or apparel.
Sanft said companies must enforce their trademarks to protect their value. “They really shouldn’t be just letting it go willy-nilly because there’s huge value in the branding,” she said.
Unauthorized logo use can also mislead consumers into thinking a business is affiliated with a team or sponsor. Over time, brands that fail to police their trademarks risk losing them entirely. The Canadian Intellectual Property Office notes that if a trademark becomes generic — as happened with “zipper,” once a protected term — the owner can lose its rights.
While cease-and-desist warnings like the one sent to Sneaky Dee’s are typically non-monetary, ignoring them could lead to fines or court orders. Trademark registration itself costs between $350 and $1,000, but defending it in legal proceedings can cost small businesses tens of thousands.
Big wins for local bars — but a curveball on trademark rules
Despite the takedown, Diamantouros said the World Series run has brought a wave of customers through the door.
“We haven’t felt anything like that for a long time,” he said. “The energy has been electric.”
Bars across Toronto are seeing similar boosts, with fans flocking to watch the games on big screens rather than paying skyrocketing ticket prices. Seats for the World Series at the Rogers Centre are reportedly starting at over $1,000, putting in-person games out of reach for most fans.
The Blue Jays organization thanked businesses and fans for their enthusiasm, saying in a statement: “We are incredibly grateful for the support of local businesses celebrating the Blue Jays return to the World Series, including hosting fans for watch parties.”
Sneaky Dee’s plans to keep joining in the celebration — just more carefully. “We’re going to be careful about talking about the Blue Jays in general,” Diamantouros said. “The subsequent posts are going to say, ‘go birds,’ just to be on the safe side.”
For Toronto’s hospitality sector, the Blue Jays’ playoff push is a welcome boost to fall revenue. But for entrepreneurs and marketers, it’s also a reminder: enthusiasm sells, yet intellectual property still sets the boundaries.
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