Looking for a 'pizza' the action

From the IPKat's spare set of US eyes a.k.a. Miri Frankel comes this link to a piece by Rocco Parascandolo on a fascinating trade mark infringement action in which Orlando, Florida-based pizza chain NYPD Pizza is accused of "intentionally and purposefully" making its logo look like the New York Police Department's shield and decorating its pizzerias to resemble police precincts, complete with bills that look like summonses. The pizza chain denies infringement, saying this is a tribute to a department held in high esteem by its owner. Said a lawyer for the pizza company:

"We think the consumers are sophisticated enough to know the Police Department is not involved in running pizzerias".

That may be so, but the police department, through the Police Foundation, licenses use of its intellectual property to raise money, 10 percent of which is retained by the city of New York itself. Consumer confusion is not the issue, says the IPKat, if the pizza is a dilutionary one. Merpel wonders how much goodwill exists in law-enforcement icons in Orlando, which has recently attracted attention as a growth-centre for crime (see here and here).

Sign up for the defendant's pizza franchise here
Pizza recipes here and here
Pizza deprivation here
Pizza addiction here
Pizza art here