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A representative of the Pierogi Fest in Whiting, Indiana, said his organization was justified in challenging the Edwardsville pierogi festival.
The volunteer Edwardsville Hometown Committee filed a suit Monday in federal court in Scranton in response to threats from the Whiting-Robertsdale Chamber of Commerce Inc., a suburban Chicago organization that owns a trademark for the term “Pierogi Fest.”
Tom Dabertin, chairman of the Pierogi Fest in Indiana, said Tuesday the chamber obtained the trademark in 2006 because it had invested thousands of hours creating its event and didn’t want others to unfairly compete.
“We have a trademark to protect our rights,” Dabertin said. “We don’t want thousands of pierogi fests out there.”
Entities holding trademarks risk losing their protection if they fail to send letters to those who infringe, he added.
Dabertin said his organization has allowed small churches to hold pierogi fests and would consider permitting the Edwardsville one, possibly waiving a fee if the revenue generated is minimal. He said a representative of the Edwardsville event spoke to him once about more fully discussing the matter but never followed through.
“Instead of getting permission, they filed a suit,” Dabertin said. “We’re very amenable, but we have to have that discussion.”
Dabertin said the Indiana event has received national media coverage and was featured in a front-page Wall Street Journal article two years ago.
He fears a problem at another unauthorized pierogi fest could blemish his event.
“They’re painting Edwardsville as very small, but our town only has about 5,000 people. We rely heavily on this revenue,” he said.
The Edwardsville committee has hosted the two-day event in June since 2014. The festival includes a parade, live entertainment, vendors, youth activities and a competition rating the best pierogi and other ethnic foods.
Local attorneys Gregory Fellerman and Corey Suda, of Fellerman and Ciarimboli Law P.C., worked pro bono with attorney James Haggerty to prepare the Edwardsville filing, which seeks a declaration that the Edwardsville Pierogi Festival is not a trademark infringement. The suit also seeks damages for problems the chamber has caused with sponsors.