District Court tosses Sneaky Chef’s lawsuit vs. Jessica Seinfeld

Last week a New York District court Judge dismissed all but one claim in the suit against Jessica and Jerry Seinfeld. In 2008, Missy Chase Lapine claimed that Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food infringed the Copyrights and Trademark[s] of her The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals.

The Court found the two cookbooks to be decidedly different, save for unprotectable similar ideas. The Court further found that there is no likelihood of confusion between the source of either book and dismissed the Trademark claim. However, the Judge did not rule on the libel claim stemming from various comments made by Jerry Seinfeld following the complaint. The court instead suggested that the libel claims be removed to State Court, of which Lapine’s counsel suggests are “very much alive.”

More on the case here. The original complaint here.

UPDATE: On April 28, 2010 the Second Circuit upheld the lower court’s holding that Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food does not infringe on Missy Chase Lapine’s The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals. More here.