Question
The attached article Mystic Pizza sues Pennsylvania's Mystic Pizzeria appeared in the Hartford Courant on Tuesday, March 5, 2019. i) who is the plaintiff? ii)
The attached article "Mystic Pizza sues Pennsylvania's Mystic Pizzeria" appeared in the Hartford Courant on Tuesday, March 5, 2019.
i) who is the plaintiff?
ii) who is the defendant?
iii) which court (and where) was the suit filed in?
iv) do you think that Mystic Pizza will win their suit? If so, what type of remedy might they be awarded?
Mystic Pizza sues Pennsylvania's Mystic Pizzeria for trademark infringement By PETER HALL, MARCH 04, 2019 The 1988 coming-of-age drama "Mystic Pizza" gave film star Julia Roberts her breakout role. The movie also made the family pizza shop from which it borrowed its name a must-see attraction in the seaport town of Mystic. Now the owners of that pizza shop say a Pennsylvania restaurant is unfairly taking a slice of its fame. Christos and John Zelepos, who own and operate Mystic Pizza restaurants in Connecticut, have sued the owners of Mystic Pizzeria on Stump Road in North Wales, Pa., over allegations of cybersquatting and trademark infringement. Cybersquatting is the act of registering an internet address similar to a trademarked name with the intent of profiting from it. Mystic Pizza in Connecticut has been around since 1973, the lawsuit says, and was popular among locals and tourists visiting the picturesque New England town and its seaport museum, which recreates a 19th century maritime village. Then in 1988, "Mystic Pizza," inspired by Hollywood screenwriter Amy Holden Jones' visit, hit the big screens with the story of three young waitresses learning about life and love. The movie was produced by Easton native Scott Rosenfelt. The restaurant's popularity exploded. Tourists posing for pictures in front of the pizza shop tied up traffic on Main Street and the Zelepos family opened a second shop in nearby North Stonington to keep up with demand. Today, the business remains popular and has expanded into a line of frozen pizzas. Mystic Pizza's lawsuit alleges Mystic Pizzeria is using its name in an attempt to confuse and divert customers to its website mysticpizzeria.com and make them believe the Pennsylvania restaurant is affiliated with the Connecticut business. The alleged misuse of the brand diminishes its value, the suit claims. Mystic Pizzeria's website says the business has been family owned and operated for 25 years. James Marques, son of owner Antonio Marques, said Friday he was just a kid when the restaurant was founded and didn't know how it got its name. "I think we're in middle of talking it all out with them," he said. Antonio Marques didn't return a call. No lawyer is listed for Mystic Pizzeria. Mystic Pizza is represented by Carol Steinour Young of Harrisburg, who also did not return a call. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court in Philadelphia, seeks a court order against the Pennsylvania pizzeria's use of the Mystic Pizza name and unspecified damages.
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