And there is a place called DBGB on the Bowery.
And DBGB chef-owner Daniel Boulud is now suing the owners of Buffalo's DBGB for trademark infringement, the Daily News reports.
We learned about the lawsuit via Eater, who noted: "Boulud's people apparently sent the owners a cease and desist letter in 2010, right after the Buffalo restaurant opened. The owners initially agreed to change the name, but never actually made the switch. A note on the bar's site reads: 'Please be advised that Duke's Bohemian Grove Bar has no affiliation with DBGB Kitchen & Bar located at 299 Bowery St. in NY, NY.'"
Wonder if the Buffalo DBGB has a sidewalk cafe too?
Can CBGB do the same to DBGB? Because DBGB is definitely capitalizing on CBGB's name recognition. In any case why the hell is one of the top fancy ass chefs in NYC even concerned with some podunk bar in a podunk town. That's just obnoxious. I mean I understand not wanting to have your name copped but in this case will it really affect Mr Bouloud's business one iota? Common sense suggests NO, not one iota.
ReplyDeleteBuffalo is a terrible place and anyone who's never been there should consider themselves lucky. We may have our troubles here in the East Village (and the city as a whole) but Buffalo's so bad, I can't even begrudge them this latest effort to "bring some En-Why-Cee cool" there.
ReplyDeletefrom a pure business perspective you have to protect your trademarks. the fact it is a ripoff of CBGB only tells us of the desperation of the fascion herd to be edgey and appropriate something that actually was original and distinctive. Personally, I prefer that area with the vacant lots and piles of trash. It feels safer to me than the cocaine adderall prozaced fascionheads milling about there in their $200 tshirts.
ReplyDeleteAs if anyone cares about DBGB. That moniker is so original that it is derived as a blatant knockoff, a shameless palid one at that.
ReplyDeleteAS if it couldnt get any worse, Blue and Cream have the audacity to fashion an ode to Mars Bar.
Forget copyright
COPYCAT
A couple years ago Rub Hut in the even more podunk town of Manville, NJ (population 10,000) received a cease and desist letter from RUB BBQ on 23rd Street. Jerks.
ReplyDeleteThey changed their name to Grub Hut, preserving some signage. I would have doubled down and called it iRUB.
When the Men's shelter on East 3rd Street was still housing people over night, you'd have a sizable group of panhandlers and drunks hanging around, loitering up and down that stretch of the Bowery. There was no sign of any Daniel Boulud. Ah, the good ol' times.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfcyDYCPWSA
ReplyDeletePeople around here who yearn for the good old bad days would like Buffalo.
ReplyDeleteThe Buffalo DBGB is WAY BETTER!
ReplyDeleteI think the standard is "likelihood of confusion," and I can't see that being the issue here. That said, it could be many thousands of dollars in Federal Court to come to a resolution.
ReplyDeletewhat nygrump said.
ReplyDeleteWill the Buffalo DCBGCDDBGCEDCGBD's also take up most of the public sidewalk with outdoor seating? Will they too serve food 20 feet from the worlds noisiest intersection?
ReplyDeleteI spent a lot of time in Buffalo in the '70's and again when my son went to school there a couple of years ago. I think Danel Boulud should calm down. There is absolutely no possibility that anyone will confuse Duke's BGB with DBGB.
ReplyDeleteAs if anyone knows who Danel Boulud is in the first place? But then to take the HUGE leap of suggesting that people in Buffalo would know who he is, and then further leap to mistake this new restaurant as one of his? Get over yourself dude.
ReplyDeleteI would a million zillion times sooner eat at the Buffalo place than at some pretentious frog fry cook's froggiefied home of greasy spoonery.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who says "Bowery Street"—or even thinks it—doesn't belong in New York. (Actually, the conductor on the J train also says "Bowery Street" on his morning run, and it makes me cringe.)
ReplyDelete