MUSKOGEE, Okla., Dec. 17 A court battle of "Girls Gone Wine" versus "Girls Gone Wild" has emerged in Muskogee, Oklahoma, after a winery's owners filed the lawsuit.
Three women who came up with a clever name for their wine-selling business have sued the makers of "Girls Gone Wild" after Mantra Films threatened to sue them over the name, The Oklahoman reported Monday.
At issue is whether the women can keep their already trademarked name.
"This is blatant trademark infringement," Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis told the Oklahoman. "It just backs up everything that people have tried to do to me over the last few years to take advantage of me and we are tired of it."
The women operate the "Girls Gone Wine" winery in an area near Broken Bow, Okla., which is popular with tourists.
They took the issue to court after receiving a letter from a Mantra Films attorney demanding they "immediately cease and desist any and all use" of the winery's name.
The women's attorney, Martin Ozinga, is confident that the suit will succeed.
"The United States Patent and Trademark Office has already said, 'There's no issue here. They can co-exist,'" said Ozinga.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
