Claims Copyright Infringement, Unfair Competition

If you've been to AirVenture recently, you've probably noticed the party tent that is set upon Waukau Avenue advertising cold beer and servers in bikinis.

The "Beer Venture" business has been something of a thorn in the side of EAA, which has been in discussions with brothers Carl, Dean and Steven Sosnoski about their pop-up tavern during AirVenture week. Those discussions escalated somewhat last week when EAA filed a lawsuit against the brothers, claiming trademark infringement, unfair competition, trademark dilution and trademark counterfeiting.

The Oshkosh Northwestern newspaper reports that while EAA spokesman Dick Knapinski said the talks have been "rather amicable", and that "the filing is a legal step to make sure (the discussion) stays on track, so it doesn't drop through the cracks. We fully expect to have a settlement."

According to the suit, "The 'Beer Venture' event heavily promotes consumption of alcoholic beverages and utilizes female servers wearing bikini swimsuits. Both activities conflict with the family friendly image and nature of EAA and its AirVenture event."

The brothers were served with a cease and desist order prior to the 2019 edition of AirVenture, demanding they stop using EAA trademarks. The order was ignored. That led the EAA to say in its suit that the association considers the action to be "deliberate attempts to trade on EAA's valuable goodwill and reputation in the industry, and to compete unfairly.

"The Sosnoskis have ... had actual knowledge of their trademark infringement, counterfeiting, dilution and unfair competition," the lawsuit states. "Sonsoskis' actions ... have resulted in irreparable harm to EAA's reputation and goodwill and damage to customers."

In 1996, Winnebago County took 1.2 acres of land from the Sosnoskis under an eminent domain land acquisition to broaden the safety area around the airport as port of an AIP grant. That case was eventually settled by the county and state, which paid the brothers $800,000.

But the Sosnoskis later sued the county after it ceded the land to EAA, where the association set up its own concessions.

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report