WOLFGANG PUCK BATTLES OVER HIS NAME

Restaurant icon Wolfgang Puck is accusing a fellow restaurateur of cashing in on his fame by using his name to open a rival eatery,even though the other cook is also called Wolfgang. Puck, who owns a series of restaurants under his business name Wolfgang Puck Companies, is threatening to file a lawsuit against Wolfgang Zwiener, who he claims has copied his trademark name. Zwiener has opened a rival restaurant called Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, just blocks from Puck’s Spago eatery in Beverly Hills, California. According to gossip website TMZ, one of the owners of Wolfgang’s Steakhouse had a license to use the trademarked name, but that expired last year. And Puck is furious his name is frequently being linked to a restaurant which has nothing to do with him - because it confuses his loyal customers. He says, “The most common reaction is, ‘It says Wolfgang’s Steakhouse and you are Wolfgang.’” If Puck does goes through with the lawsuit, he plans to claim damages for trademark infringement and unfair competition.

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