West Coast hotel asks court to stop Hotel California from using its name

AKRON

In its lawsuit alleging trademark infringement, a California-based hotel operator is asking a federal judge to block the imminent opening of Sebastian Rucci’s Austintown hotel under the name “Hotel California.”

“Defendants should not be permitted to open and operate a hotel that will capitalize on, and harm, plaintiffs’ trademark rights,” according to a Monday court filing by Richard A. Butler III and Ocean Avenue Properties LLC.

Butler and Ocean Avenue say they have the right to the Hotel California trademark, and they have proposed that U.S. District Court Judge John R. Adams issue a preliminary injunction barring Rucci’s hotel from using that name while the lawsuit is pending.

A law clerk for Judge Adams said he expects the judge will rule this month on the preliminary matter linked to the hotel’s opening, but not on the merits of the trademark infringement complaint.

Read more about the matter in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.