Paul Lis was running a successful DJ business for almost 40 years until Pauly D hit it big on MTV’s Jersey Shore in 2009.
Lis began his business in 1973 and has prided himself on his ability to be a family entertainer. He claims that MTV’s Jersey Shore and Pauly D have tainted his reputation with their drinking and violence.
“I’ve prided myself in being G-rated. Jersey shore is hardly family entertainment. The show is hurting my business. It’s ruining my reputation. I’ve even had death threats,” said Lis.
According to Lis’s attorney, Jose Rojas, it’s not the spelling that matters. The similarity in sounds between the two DJs’ names is what violates federal law.
In February 2010, Rojas says that Pauly D attempted to place a patent on DJ Pauly D with the US Patent and Trademark Offices. He was unable to get the patent because Lis already had the patent on DJ Paulie and the names sound too familiar.
Rojas filed a cease and desist order against MTV to stop using the DJ’s name until the court system settles the dispute.
