This is too funny. Larry Klaymans' Judicial Watch, the right-wing Scaife-funded "watchdog" group that spent most of the 1990's suing the Clinton administration, is suing Ari Fleischer's pro-war Freedom's Watch for trademark infringement. Seems the TV show West Wing parodied the litigious organization back in 2000, creating a fictional group called Freedom Watch. Klayman was flattered, and bought rights to the name.
"I loved the name," Klayman told ABC News. "I thought it was better than 'Judicial Watch.' So I trademarked it."
Stories in the Washington Post and U..S News & World Report in 2003 mentioned Klayman's copyrighting of the name. Klayman press releases in 2005 and 2006 cite him as a founder of "Freedom Watch."
So far, Freedom's Watch doesn't seem too concerned. But are these good right-wingers tacitly admitting that Klayman shouldn't have spent so much time harassing Bill Clinton?
Freedom's Watch spokesman Matt David dismissed Klayman's complaint. "It shouldn't surprise anyone that Larry Klayman is filing another lawsuit with absolutely no validity," he said.
Klayman, on the other hand, doesn't appreciate the mendacious ads produced by Freedom's Watch:
"I've been waiting for them to respond," Klayman said. "They can't wage war correctly, they can't tell the American people the truth about Iraq, and now they're trying to steal a trademark from a fellow conservative and Republican."
"I would have expected a robbery from O.J. Simpson, but not from all the president's men," Klayman said. "They owe me a hell of a lot of money."
Right-wing smackdowns are so entertaining. :)
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