Arizona Daily Star from Tucson, Arizona • Page 5

Tucson, Sunday, July 19, 1992 jr Arizona Bailn Slaf Section A Page Five Off the Wall Beds Legal fight brewing over use of two Muppets Handcrafted by our shop in Contemporary, Southwestern and Traditional Come See Our 8 New Floor Models "Give us one roori), we'll, give you two rooms" SpeedwayWilmot in Monterey Village Showroom inside Bed Mart 6252 E. Speedway 745-1486 SINCE volved in tne case said that Brady should not so closely link the characters to Henson's name. "It sounds like these guys have gone overboard," said Ethan Horwitz, a copyright lawyer in New York. Horwitz, who had not seen the papers and contracts involved, said that Brady was permitted to say that Henson created the puppets. "But he cannot make people believe that Jim Henson is related to the product in ways that he's not" Horwitz said.

"You can't give people the impression that the quality of the product is guaranteed by Jim Henson, which is obviously not true." Peter D. Raymond, another lawyer for Brady, said that company materials made it clear that Jim Henson Productions would not be involved in any products licensed by Brady and that "we don't think there is any confusion to the public." Pima County Medical Society is pleased to announce the association of Timothy K. Putty, M.D. with Neurological Associates of Tucson for the practice of Neurosurgery 5300 E. Erickson, Suite 112 Tucson, AZ 85712 795-1033 kind of lost it It was reflective of her.

outrage at what they were doing." "One of my employees was physically attacked by Mrs. Henson," Brady said. "With her fist, she knocked her across the booth." Brady has photographs of Mrs. Henson savaging the booth. His company has filed a criminal complaint of destruction of property with the New York City Police Department Mrs.

Henson, who had been separated from Henson for five years at the time of his death, has no official connection with Jim Henson Productions. She is the president of the Jim Henson Foundation, which gives money to puppeteers. Susan Berry, a company spokeswoman, said Mrs. Henson was out of the country on vacation and unavailable for comment. Last week, Jim Henson Produc BiSlIlll i i -1 A SB tions filed the copyright infringement suit in federal court in Manhattan.

Brian Henson, Henson's 28-year-old son and the president and chief executive of Jim Henson Productions, said: "We are deeply hurt that since my father's death people like Wilkins and Brady are trying to capitalize on his good name and legacy and are exploiting his creations after his death in ways that he would have found offensive were he still alive." Brady's lawyers are threatening to countersue. "They are trying to stop John without a legal basis to do so," said Douglas J. Wood, a lawyer for Brady and Wilkins Coffee. Officials at Wilkins, in Capital Heights, were not available for comment and a secretary referred calls to Brady's lawyers. Several copyright lawyers not in US'.

'i MEN'S i CL(MNG 1 I 0 U(rOUo OFF -mmmmmmmmmsmmm ii suns and- ji SPORTCOATS New York firm sought to cash in on puppets By Eben Shapiro 1992 The New York Time Will Miss Piggy make a reliable character witness? Will Kermit the Frog crack under cross-examination? The discovery of a pair of long-lost Muppets has led to a legal fight in federal district court in New York and some conduct unbecoming of a Muppet at a recent trade show here. At the center of the dispute are Wilkins and Wontkins, two fuzzy characters created by Jim Henson the originator of the Muppets while he was a student at the University of Maryland in the 1950s. He made a series of television commercials using them for Wilkins Coffee and sold the rights to them to the coffee company, which in turn authorized John T. Brady, a New York marketing executive, to sell those rights to film studios and toy makers. Wontkins is shaped like a hot dog and has a big mouth and no nose.

Wilkins is shaped like an egg and has a bulbous nose and a dazed look. Last week, Jim Henson Productions sued John T. Brady Associates and the Wilkins Coffee asserting that Brady's plans constitute copyright and trademark infringement and unfair competition. It said that Brady's unauthorized use would mislead consumers into thinking that Wontkins and Wilkins were connected to Henson Productions. Brady says he is legally entitled to' use the dolls and doesn't "see why we should be prevented from expanding the Muppet culture." The trouble began last month when Brady set up a booth at a licensing show in Manhattan.

He was searching for partners to use the characters on lunch boxes and in cereal and snack-food marketing. The booth was plastered with photos of Jim Henson and the Muppets, and promotional material described Wilkins and Wontkins as the "Original Muppets Created by Jim Henson." On the first day of the show, several employees of Henson Productions showed up at Brady's booth. On the third day, Jane Henson, Hen-son's widow he died of pneumonia in May 1990 at the age of 53 showed up, objected to what she saw and destroyed it. Carol F. Simkin, a lawyer for Henson Productions, said: "I think she 6 guards are injured in R.I.

prison disturbance CRANSTON, R.I. (AP) Inmates at a state prison took over an exercise yard yesterday, injuring six guards, authorities said. Correctional officers regained control of the yard four hours later by firing tear gas into a building where about 10 inmates held out. About 45 inmates, some armed with fire extinguishers and pieces of a picnic table, attacked guards during an exercise period, officials said, adding that none of the guards was seriously hurt About 35 inmates surrendered three hours into the siege. Gov.

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