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Jersey Shore's DJ Pauly D Sued by DJ Paulie

By Cynthia Hsu, Esq. on July 05, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

What's up for Jersey Shore star DJ Pauly D? A lawsuit. Pauly D is being sued by DJ Paulie, a less prominent DJ.

DJ Paulie is suing Pauly D for ruining his business and his reputation. Apparently, he's also gotten death threats from jealous boyfriends, probably meant for Pauly D.

Say what? A cast member of Jersey Shore is ruining your reputation? Say it isn't so!

But, it is, according to DJ Paulie. DJ Paulie's real name is Paul Lis, from South Windsor, Connecticut. And, he used to be considered a well-known DJ. He started his DJ business 30 years ago, well before Pauly D rose to fame, reports Radar Online.

In other words, he's used the moniker DJ Paulie for a very long time.

And, he has the name properly trademarked and registered. Lis was granted a trademark for the name "DJ Paulie" on January 12, 2010. Jersey Shore debuted in late 2009.

Back in the day, if you did a web search on "DJ Paulie," you'd find Paul Lis. Now if you search for Pauly D on the web, you'll find Jersey Shore pictures, fist pumps, and Snooki.

Perhaps it's something Paul Lis wants some distance from.

So is Pauly D's use of his nickname unfair to Paul Lis, a.k.a. DJ Paulie? Yes, according to his attorney. Apparently, being confused with a Jersey Shore star isn't good for business. DJ Paulie spent around $2 million developing an internet radio website, called DJPaulie.com, which has since fallen "off the face of the earth," said Lis' attorney Jose Rojas to Radar Online. He's had to move internet domains to youshook.com.

Maybe Pauly D is infringing on DJ Paulie's trademark, considering that their names are pretty similar. The usual standard for trademark suits is whether or not the consumers would be confused. And, they very well may be perplexed by the names. Hence, a Pauly D lawsuit started by Paulie D.

Are you confused now?

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