Pittsburgh Zoo And PPG Aquarium Facing Federal Lawsuit Over 'Asian Lantern Festival'

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Pittsburgh Zoo is being sued in federal court by the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in an apparent dispute of how it has named an upcoming event.

The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is hosting an Asian Lantern Festival this August, but the Cleveland zoo says that the Pittsburgh zoo does not have the right to use the phrase "Asian Lantern Festival."

The Cleveland zoo is claiming that it owns the trademark to that particular wording after kicking off an "Asian Lantern Festival" with Tianyu Arts & Culture, Inc. in 2018.

The Pittsburgh zoo says that the phrase is generic and that the Cleveland zoo does not have sole claim over it.