Vikings-Wells Fargo photo bomb lawsuit moves to federal court

U.S. Bank Stadium
A rendering of U.S. Bank Stadium. The Minnesota Vikings have sued Wells Fargo, saying the bank is trying to muscle in on the image of the new stadium the team is building in downtown Minneapolis, which is named for a Wells Fargo competitor.
Courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

A Minnesota Vikings lawsuit that claims Wells Fargo is trying to photo bomb U.S. Bank Stadium has moved to federal court.

The team filed suit last week saying the bank and the team struck a deal that allowed Wells Fargo to put 56-foot square roof signs atop each of the two office towers the bank is building near the stadium — since formally named for rival U.S. Bank.

According to the complaint, "Wells Fargo has recently started installing mounted and illuminated roof top signs that do not conform to the parties agreement in an effort to permanently 'photo bomb' the image of the iconic U.S. Bank Stadium." It adds, "The prohibited action must be stopped immediately."

The Vikings said in 2013 the team feared a prominent display of a brand near their stadium could diminish the value of the naming rights of their new $1 billion stadium, particularly in aerial television and photo images of the new stadium and surrounding area.

Neither the team nor the bank have disclosed what U.S. Bank paid the team for the naming rights.

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