Wimpy Kid, Inc. has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against comic-book publisher Antarctic Press over its book ‘Diary of a Zombie Kid’.
The firm, which holds the copyright to the popular ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ book series, is concerned that its intellectual property has been violated by the zombie title.
‘Zombie Kid’ was published by San Antonio-based Antarctic in August 2011, and according to Wimpy, is “substantially similar” to the ‘Wimpy Kid’ book line, reports Reuters.
As such, Wimpy is claiming that the book intends to confuse the public into believing the defendant’s books are an addition to the series.
The ‘Zombie Kid’ cover depicts a backpack-carrying main character, similar to ‘Wimpy Kid’ protagonist Greg Heffley.
And Wimpy is arguing that the cover artwork bears a close resemblance to its own publication.
The complaint, filed in the US District Court in Massachusetts, alleges multiple counts, including federal trademark infringement, false designation of origin, trade dress infringement, federal trademark dilution and deceptive trade practices.
The “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” book series has sold more than 52 million copies in North America alone. A film series based on the books has also been produced.