BY PHILLIP PINA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
A Sycamore Township man is suing the planners of this weekend's Ujima Cinci-bration festival, saying they infringed on his trademark and broke a contract.
He is seeking an injunction to stop the festival from taking place.
John D. Bell II, along with his company, Nxfaze Unlimited, wants to stop festival planners from using the phrase "Ujima" and "Ujima Cinci-bration." He also seeks damages for the contract and profits related to use of the festival's name.
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati. No hearing date has been set.
The festival was planned in response to violence the weekend of the 1997 Coors Light Festival. Planners want the event to be a family affair, with artists and vendors.
Named in Mr. Bell's lawsuit were the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce, Black World Products International, M&F Enterprises and Mark Pastor, a chamber board member.
James Clingman, executive director of the African American chamber, said Wednesday night he had not seen the lawsuit. He said the festival will proceed as planned, and he hoped the lawsuit would not cast a negative light on the festivities.
"I think the lawsuit is a misunderstanding of a business relationship," said Eric H. Kearney, an attorney representing the African American chamber. Festival organizers were working with Mr. Bell's attorneys to clear up the problem Wednesday night.
The lawsuit said Mr. Bell met with festival planners May 28 and coined the festival name. It also said he was contracted to perform promotion, planning and staging the festival.
Mr. Bell refused comment Wednesday night.
