Carnegie Hall Files Lawsuit Over Trademark Infringement
Carnegie Hall is taking legal action against the operators of multiple restaurants branded as Carnegie Diner & Cafes, claiming these establishments are violating its trademarks.
The nonprofit organization responsible for managing the historic venue, which has been around for 134 years, contends that Fstachios Antonacopoulos is exploiting Carnegie Hall’s image and reputation to market Carnegie Diners in locations like Manhattan, Secaucus, New Jersey, and Vienna, Virginia, with aspirations for nationwide franchise expansion by 2029.
Carnegie Hall has expressed disapproval of the diner, especially due to its use of wall murals depicting the venue and its connection to significant figures like singer Maria Callas and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The complaint notes that these diners are selling merchandise like T-shirts that reference Carnegie Hall.
The lawsuit, lodged Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, alleges that the dines mislead customers into believing there’s a connection with Carnegie Hall. Past attempts to amicably resolve this matter have proven unsuccessful.
Antonacopoulos, often referred to as Stasis, has stated that the diner aims to pay “homage” to the illustrious figures associated with Carnegie Hall. Interestingly, one of their restaurants is located directly across the street.
However, the lawsuit firmly counters this notion, asserting, “This is not a ‘homage.’ It’s theft.”
As of now, Antonacopoulos and Carnegie Hospitality have not commented on the situation. He became CEO of the company in 2019, according to its website.
In a statement, Carnegie Hall emphasized, “We filed a lawsuit to protect both our intellectual property rights and innocent consumers who might mistakenly believe that the restaurant is affiliated with Carnegie Hall.”
The legal action seeks unspecified damages, an immediate cessation of ongoing alleged infringements, and the cancellation of Carnegie Hospitality’s US Patents and Trademark Office registration for Carnegie Diner & Cafe Restaurant.
The case is officially recorded as Carnegie Hall Corp v Carnegie Hospitality LLC et al, in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, under case number 25-04224.
