UPDATED STORY: Web site owner denies New York-New York allegations
Attorneys for the New York-New York hotel-casino in Las Vegas have sued a California man they say is behind an Internet site infringing on the casino's trademarks.
A suit alleging "cybersquatting" was filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas against Ronnie Katzin of Tarzana, Calif., and his Web site.
The MGM Mirage hotel-casino says in the suit that Katzin's Web site, using the phrase "New York New York," infringes on the Las Vegas hotel-casino's trademarks covering that name for resort and hotel services not provided in the city or state of New York; and for casino services.
The Web site includes an image of the Las Vegas property, but New York-New York in its lawsuit complains there is no disclaimer that the Web site has no affiliation with the Las Vegas property.
The lawsuit alleges that when users click on a banner, they are not re-directed to the hotel's official Web site, www.nynyhotelcasino.com , but instead to a Web site enabling them to book hotel reservations at the Las Vegas property.
"Defendants have and/or had a bad faith intent to profit from plaintiff's New York-New York marks," the lawsuit complains.
Katzin could not immediately be located for comment on the allegations and a message for him was placed Monday through the Web site.
Friday's suit was filed by attorneys with the Las Vegas law office Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP.
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