GTL Trademark Lawsuit by The Situation

Jersey Shore star Mike Sorrentino (aka The Situation) is making sure he stays on top.  Of his trademarks, that is.  Has sued, in the Florida Southern District Court, a newcomer who wants to use Sorrentino’s “GTL” brand to market lifestyle products reminiscent of Jersey Shore style and fashion.  MyGTLFuel.com is aimed toward viewers and fans of Jersey Shore, selling Energy Shots, Tanning Lotion and the like.  So does the owner, Dana Valentino, actually have any trademark rights that are superior to The Situation?  Or is he simply trying to cash in on the ‘Guido’ trend?  GTL Fuel, LLC which we believe is owned by Valentino, actually obtained a federal trademark registration for "GTF Fuel" claiming a first use of January 14, 2011. On the other hand The Situation has been diligent and has filed several trademarks, many of them including the term "GTL".  According to the complaint, The Situation's company, MPS Entertainments, Inc. claims its first use of GTL dates back to 2009 in connection with a variety of goods.  Also according to the Complaint the Situation alleges that a representative of Valentino approached the Situation for a license deal which did not materialize.  Due to the huge popularity of Jersey Shore, it’s not a bad business idea lately, but without any trademark protection Valentino’s site could be very short lived.  So will The Situation be able to prove his superior use?  We will see.  FYI, if you were wondering, according to The Situation's camp, GTL stands for "Gym, Tan, Laundry" whereas, Valentino's website says its stands for "Get The Lifestyle."

DJ Pauly D Trademark Infringement

Several of MTV’s ‘The Jersey Shore’ stars have been applying for trademarks to be used in product lines of different varieties. The use of celebrity trademarks has been an increasingly-popular way to try and capitalize on minor-league fame. But apparently, Jersey Shore star DJ Pauly D will have a harder time than most. Unfortunately for him, there is already a “DJ Paulie D” who has had a registered trademark with the USPTO since 2008. The reality show star has applied for a trademark 3 times, and been rejected for likelihood of confusion.

To make matters worse for the MTV star, the original DJ Paulie D has filed a lawsuit against him. The suit (Paul Lis DJ Paulie Broadcasting LLC v. Paul DelVecchio Jr., 3:11-cv-01057-AWT, U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut) claims trademark infringement, since, as Techdirt.com points out, any recent Google search will indicate that DJ Paulie D is a misspelling for the far-more popular DJ Pauly D of Jersey Shore. The original DJ Paulie D is asking for $4 million in damages. And it seems somewhat likely he’ll get some awards for damages, since he’s claiming MTV used metatags to intentionally redirect traffic away from him. Regardless of whether he gets any money from Viacom (MTV’s owner), he has already created a ton of publicity for himself.

Jersey Shore Trademark for "The Situation" May Turn Into a Priority Dispute

“The Situation,” a phrase made popular by the MTV reality show “Jersey Shore,” is under review for a trademark. “The Situation” is a nickname that Michael Sorrentino, the show’s ripped leading man, has given to his abdominal muscles. Contrary to rumors going around that he is attempting to trademark his abs, we have not found any such trademark application with USPTO. Rather, there are two pending applications for the mark, both in Class 25 for clothing and related accessories.

However, the story gets a little more interesting. The two applications are owned by different companies. One by Vadio Limited Liability Corporation from New Jersey, and the other by Naughty Limited, a Las Vegas firm that we have heard is operated by Michael’s older brother. We also believe that Vadio may be owned by a New Jersey man named Matthew Hunter.

The priority of right to the name should be interesting because Vadio did file the trademark application prior to Naughty Limited. However, the applications were filed differently intent to use (1B) vs. use based (1A), so it may be an interesting fight.

Another of the show’s stars, Jenni Farley, has already launched her own “JWoww” clothing line.