SEATTLE - A local business owner is putting a lot of stock in the Seahawks' next game against the San Francisco 49ers. In fact, Mike Hanson is so confident in the team he's willing to bet his business on it - literally.
"I figured the San Francisco 49ers versus the Seahawks is a good way to go out and go out swinging," Hanson says.
Hanson owns Craigstruck.com, a Seattle-based company that connects people who need a truck with someone who has one so they can pick up and/or deliver items they bought off Craigslist.org, the San Francisco-based classifieds website. And therein lies the problem; Hanson says Craigslist is suing him for trademark infringement.
"Lawyers tell me, 'You have a great case, but you have no money,'" Hanson says.
The reaction shared by certain 49er fans after last Sunday's loss at CenturyLink got the Seattle business owner thinking, and he decided to go public to present his case.
"There is another battle between Seattle and San Francisco you might not know about; that's Craigslist.org - the nonprofit - versus Craigstruck.com - that's me," Hanson says in a video he made and recently posted on YouTube.
Hanson started his truck business four years ago. He says everything was going along fine until he received a registered trademark for his company, and that's when he started getting cease and desist letters from Craigslist.
"I worked really hard to get the phone number, the domain," Hanson says.
Then in April Hanson says Craigslist upped the ante, filing a lawsuit against him.
"This is about who has the most money, and whoever runs out of resources loses," Hanson says. "And that's going to be me."
But he isn't about to go down without a fight, or in this case, a bet - and a big one at that. Hanson says he will hand over everything, his trademark, his company's phone number, even the Craigstruck shirt he wore in his YouTube video, if the Seahawks lose to the 49ers on Dec. 8 at Candlestick Park.
"If the Hawks come down to San Francisco and beat the Niners, you drop the lawsuit," Hanson says in his video. "You also have to fly me to San Francisco and take me to dinner."
So far, Hanson has not heard back from any Craigslist bosses or lawyers. We also tried contacting Craigslist about the bet and have not heard anything.
He says if they don't take him up on the sports wager he will be in San Francisco in February for scheduled mediation.
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Facing-suit-from-Craigslist-man-bets-company-on-Seahawks-victory-224483261.html
