Ben & Jerry's sues over porn copycats

From: Fran H.

Sent: September 16, 2012

To: undisclosed recipients

Subject: Fw: Ben & Jerry's sues over porn copycats

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ben & Jerry's has sued a maker of pornographic DVDs for allegedly infringing the names of its ice cream flavors with a movie series called "Ben & Cherry's."

The company changed some of Ben & Jerry's best-known ice cream flavors into titles for its movies, according to a complaint filed by Ben & Jerry's, a subsidiary of Unilever NV, on Wednesday in Manhattan federal court.

For instance, "Boston Cream Pie" became "Boston Cream Thighs," "Chocolate Fudge Brownie" was changed to "Chocolate Fudge Babes," and "Peanut Butter Cup" became "Peanut Butter D-Cups," the lawsuit said.

The DVD jackets also mimic the packaging of Ben & Jerry's ice cream products, according to the lawsuit. Ben & Jerry's is asking the court to stop the company, Rodax Distributors Inc, from making or selling movies that infringe its trademarks. It is also seeking monetary damages.

Rodax Distributors, a California-based company that makes and sells adult movies and products, did not immediately return a call for comment Wednesday evening.

(Reporting by Jessica Dye; Editing by Gary Hill)