Pubdate: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 Source: Dallas Morning News (TX) Copyright: 2002 The Dallas Morning News Contact: http://www.dallasnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117 Author: TODD BENSMAN MADD DARNED ANGRY ABOUT SOUND-ALIKE GROUP DAMMADD Leader Says Complaint Is Without Substance MADD? No, DAMMADD. The mad mothers who channeled their anger about drunken drivers into a national nonprofit movement have plenty of ire left over for a new group: mad dads. A spat over acronyms landed in Dallas federal court this week when Irving-based Mothers Against Drunk Drivers sued the New York-based Dads and Mad Moms Against Drug Dealers for service trademark infringement. MADD wants DAMMADD to get rid of the name. DAMMADD wants MADD to get over it. The main question this week was who's madder? "It's greediness. It's all money-driven for them," said Steven Steiner, who founded DAMMADD after his son died of an overdose of prescription pills last year. "Maybe they're just jealous because I've had a lot of national TV coverage, and they want some." Not so, said Herbert Hammond, the Dallas trademark attorney representing MADD. He said DAMMADD is capitalizing on name recognition that took MADD nearly 20 years of public service to build. DAMMADD's indifference to months of MADD pleas for a name change forced the suit, he said. "It's a pretty famous trademark. Everyone knows what that is, and DAMMADD is trading on the reputation," Mr. Hammond said. "People may believe that MADD somehow sponsors or is associated with this organization, when they aren't. That's the problem." Mr. Steiner's grass-roots organization of six parents, based in Tioga Center, N.Y., focuses on jailing drug dealers with reward money and a tip line. The group claims 23 arrests and 10 convictions on reward payouts of about $1,300. Mr. Steiner said inspiration for the name came soon after his son died. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens