nina-kay-berott

The Coffee Conflict: Mud v. Muud

cityfile · 08/20/08 07:41AM

Don't mess with the Mud Truck. The coffee outfit that started out of an old Con Ed utility truck in 2001 and has since earned iconic status downtown (and branched out with a café, line of coffee, and location at Kiehl's) has filed suit against Muud, which sells a line of canned coffee beverages. According to the lawsuit filed in federal court last week, Mud first became aware of Muud last December and instructed Muud's parent company, Underground Beverage Brands, and its founder, Matthew Marini, to stop using the confusingly similar brand name. Muud initially agreed to change its name, then asked permission to license the Mud name, and finally tried to give Mud the ol' run-around and trademark the name "Muud." Now the husband and wife team who founded Mud, Greg Northrop and Nina Kay Berott, have fired back. They're suing Muud for trademark infringement and unfair competition (among other things), and have asked the court to force Muud to turn over any profits from their line as well as hand over damages. (This isn't the first time they've had to deal with brand confusion; late last year, a "Love Truck" made brief appearances around town.) After the jump, the entirety of Mud's case against Muud.