Hollywood Docket: Does E! Own the Buzz?

Posted by Eriq Gardner

Case: E! Entertainment Television v. Louie De Filippis, Central Image Agency, Case No. cv04355 (Los Angeles District), filed July 1

Claims: Trademark infringement, false designation of origin, federal trademark dilution, unfair competition, cybersquatting

Allegations: E! Entertainment accuses defendant of using the name ENEWSBUZZ and setting up a website enewsbuzz.com, which "Phonetically, Defendants' mark, trade name, and domain names sound identical to E! Entertainment's famous E! Marks and E! NEWS Marks, again, with the addition of the descriptive term 'buzz."

Filing attorney: Kristin Holland at Katten Muchin Rosenman, Los Angeles

Case: Beacon Plumbing & Mechanical. v. King Broadcasting Company, Case No. 082226352 (Washington Superior Court), filed July 7

Claims: Defamation, defamation by implication

Allegations: Beacon Plumbing accuses King Broadcasting Company and its KING 5 Television News station in Seattle of reporting "false statements" that Beacon employed plumbers with rap sheets for felony crimes. Beacon met with the defendants before the airing of the news report to let them know the such a claim would be damaging to Beacon.

Filing attorney: Francis Floyd of Floyd, Pflueger & Ringer, Seattle

To read the complaint, click here.