A New York kebab shop has found a copyright claim hard to swallow – coming from Pornhub.
Döner Haus say the dirty movie brand has alleged their logo is too similar to the Pornhub one.
A cease and desist letter from Pornhub’s owner Mindgeek says the logo of the East Village outlet has “the same general look and feel” and “is likely to cause confusion.”
A Döner Haus statement says: “In a surprising turn of events, Pornhub.com has alleged trade dress infringement against Döner Haus – raising eyebrows across the culinary landscape and the small business industry.
“Contrary to the nature of its accused counterpart which is self-described as “the world’s leading free porn site” featuring “unlimited free sex movies,” Döner Haus firmly distinguishes itself with its emphasis on wholesome, family-oriented dining and prides itself on serving delicious food.”
The food outlet say they will defend the allegations legally.
They said: “Döner Haus’s team of seasoned trademark lawyers firmly assert that the allegations levied by Pornhub.com are fundamentally illogical.
“As a newly-established small business, Döner Haus is baffled to be targeted by corporate behemoth Pornhub.com – they operate in another industry that does not offer food and confusion is improbable.”
Döner Haus say they are in “shock over the cease and desist letter” and suggest their content on social media platforms has been affected.
They allege: “We spent a lot of time, money, and effort creating a fun and welcoming online presence to draw people to our store to try our delicious food, and seemingly overnight everything was taken down.
“We’re just trying our very best to push the owner’s vision, and to have Mindgeek come after us, when they surely have other allegations to be worried about, is a slap in the face.
“We’re small and family-owned. We’re just starting out. Why have they targeted us when there are other issues they should be worrying about?
“Regardless, we will try our very best to fight this and we appreciate all the support we can get.”
Döner Haus opened in March, with the mission to bring authentic German döner kebabs to NYC in a fun and all-inclusive environment.
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
