The most famous dog name in movie history RIN TIN TIN is at the center of a vicious battle.
A judge will now decide who owns the Rin Tin Tin trademarks after attorneys battled for a dog breeder and a dog food company on one side, and a former Hollywood stuntman on the other.
Retired stuntman Max Kleven and Rin Inc. claimed to hold exclusive intellectual property rights for Rin Tin Tin and associated film and television rights in a lawsuit filed in April 2013, Courthouse News reported.
Dog breeder Daphne Hereford, Texas-based Rin Tin Tin Inc., and pet supply company Belleair Trading International were accused of "hijacking" the Rin Tin Tin mark after they allegedly made unlawful trademark registrations to sell clothing, dog accessories, children's books and other products.
The $5 million lawsuit is based on breeding from a German shepherd dog that "may have been a descendant of the dog Rin Tin Tin."