Donald Trump Sues Lithuanian Beauty Pageant Organizer Over Trademark, Copyright Infringement

On August 24, 2010, the U.S.-based company Miss Universe Organization, owned by the American business magnate Donald Trump and the media and entertainment giant NBC Universal, filed a trademark and copyright infringement suit against a Lithuanian company, Pramogu Akademija, which organized the Mrs. Universe 2010 beauty pageant in Lithuania.

Miss Universe’s lawyer in Lithuania Erikas Saukalas said the suit was filed with the Vilnius County Court in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius, over the illegal use of the pageant title, the rights to which belong to the U.S. company. Saukalas added that Miss Universe would demand compensation for losses that have yet to be estimated.

The head of Pramogu Akademija dismissed Miss Universe’s claims as ungrounded and argued that ‘universe’ is a generic word.

Mrs. Universe, held in Lithuania from August 12-22, is a beauty contest in which, to be qualified, all women have to be married. The main goal of this year’s contest was to raise awareness about human trafficking, a burning issue in many Eastern European countries. The contest was broadcast on a regional cable TV channel.

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Source: AP