06/06/07 By Anna Kent
Website owners Mario Mendoza and Katie Lyn Krzywdzinksi were served their court summons for a federal suit filed against them by Toyota. The lawsuit, originally filed on May 30, accuses the pair of illegally using the trademarked name Lexus on their adult website.
The site, LexusCash.com, stars a woman of the same assumed name along with a few other women posing in a series of adult photos. Toyota’s lawyers first became aware of the site last year and issued a ‘cease and desist’ letter to Mendoza. Despite the threat of a lawsuit, Mendoza felt it his right to continue use of the name.
Toyota decided to sue on the grounds of trademark violation and the potential defamation and inappropriate association with the luxury car brand name. Mendoza claims to have come close to an out-of-court settlement with Toyota’s lawyers but any previous agreements have since been broken.
The publicity of the case has brought the attention of many attorneys interested in defending Mendoza. Since the delivery of the summons, Mendoza will be allowed 20 days to talk with attorneys before sending his response to the court.
Email this article to a friend
|