Pancake-peddler IHOP sues International House of Prayer

A spokesman for the pancake-related IHOP says the suit was filed only after the church mission refused repeated requests to stop using the trademark IHOP. "We are compelled to protect the 350 small-business owners who own IHOP franchises and the IHOP good name that's been around for 52 years." (Kansas City Star)

Comments

[Charles]

Oh yes people will confuse a pancake shop with a prayer hall. Look, in New York, Republicants confuse a cooking school and gym with a mosque.

[Charles]

Oh yes people will confuse a pancake shop with a prayer hall. Look, in New York, Republicants confuse a cooking school and gym with a mosque.

[KDP]

I want to start a restaurant and call it "International House Of Phrogs."

I'll only serve frog legs.

[Sigh]

I have to side with IHOP on this one : )

[American Veteran]

Let's not waffle over this.
Too many of these coiffed preachers come across as too syrup[y and try to butter you up so you'll fork over some dough.

[TequilaJoe]

Hey Charles you goof. That proposed Muslim center near ground zero in NYC will have a mosque inside of it. They call it a prayer center but it will also offer full Islamic services there which I don't have a problem with but you are allowing your hatred to blind you to acting like someone who is ignorant of the facts.

[TequilaJoe]

I also side with IHOP as that is their corporate symbol

[Dances With Books]

Good grief, how much more ridiculous can a corporation get? You are going to get confused between a pancake eatery of dubious quality and a house of worship?

[Lambiepie]

the leader of the church group claims to have travelled to heaven twice already
bet your pancakes can't do that

[Adam]

Tequila Joe... the best fact of that whole community center/mosque/terror cell thing. There was a mosque IN one of the WTC Towers when it was attacked.

Even if the IHOPrayer wasn't a mind numbing disgusting organization built on raping rational thought out of your mind... a company HAS TO SUE for trademark infringement. If they don't, and the International Home of Pancakes opens next door, they will be allowed to be IHOP too since IhouseOP has a history of being OK with IHOP being used by others. I probably explained that wrong, but the generality of it is correct.

[many]

I pray for pancakes.

[Iowa Bumpkin]

Adam has it right. A trademark owner has to perform "due diligence" on even dubious infringements. Otherwise, when someone opens an International House of Pies next to an IHOP, they can claim that by not going after the IHoPrayer, they have "abandoned" their copyright.

That was the argument the publishers of Captain marvel used when DC Comics sued them for "copying" Superman: when their attorneys' research found printed Superman newspaper comics printed without the usual copyright notice (it had fallen off before the artwork was photostatted), that constituted abandonment. The argument didn't work, of course.

[Jamie]

I think most people would agree that the pancakes are pretty heavenly, even if they are gluttonous.

[Phranqlin]

I worship at the church of pancakes, maple syrup, butter and bacon.

[Tom Weidermeijer]

So when I start my brothell as 'International House of Poonany' they are going to have a problem with that too?

You probably can't afford our quadruple stack... and you DEFINITELY don't what to know about our crepes.

[Pancake lover]

The International House of Prayer should change its name to the "World House Of Revival Evangelism."

[johnjohn]

Very nice pancake lover! I guess that commandment about thou shalt not steal does not apply to trademarks...