‘Mean Gene’ to appeal nickname ruling

| Monday, January 22, 2007

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

SIOUX FALLS — Sisseton native and former pro-wrestling announcer “Mean Gene” Okerlund plans to appeal a federal judge’s ruling that he owns his nickname but can no longer do business using brand names developed by a Sioux Falls company.

Hot Stuff Foods and Okerlund claimed victories in last month’s decision by U.S. District Judge Lawrence Piersol of Sioux Falls, but Okerlund has since filed a notice of appeal with the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Piersol banned Okerlund’s company, Mean Gene Enterprises, from using the Mean Gene’s Burgers and Mean Gene’s Pizza names and logos used by Hot Stuff since 1997, as long as Hot Stuff continues to maintain the franchises and pay Okerlund royalties.

— The Associated Press

Okerlund has said he’s proceeding with a new food business venture, Fuzion Food Group, that doesn’t include the two brands. It provides consulting and branding services for food service operations.

Hot Stuff, formerly Orion Food Systems, signed a personality endorsement agreement with Okerlund in 1997 to market burgers and pizzas. It has since has paid Okerlund more than $1 million to appear at events and in advertisements.

Hot Stuff filed a federal lawsuit against Okerlund in May that accused him of attempting to steal the brand bearing his name. Okerlund filed a counter lawsuit that accused Hot Stuff of wrongfully using his nickname after he terminated an agreement with the company.

Okerlund’s son, Todd Okerlund, who did business with Hot Stuff; his nephew, Blaze Okerlund, who worked for Hot Stuff; and a former Hot Stuff employee, Mark McKee, also are defendants.