High Drama on the Fringe
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The legal battle began in late December 1994, when Doorika filed suit in Cook County Circuit Court alleging that after being dismissed from the theater company in May 1994 Dooley illegally continued to use the company’s name and logo and retained possession of props and costumes. Among other things Doorika members objected to Dooley’s taking out a classified ad in this newspaper that used the name Doorjka (a variation on Doorika also used by the company) to solicit actors for his new company, Dial Performance Group. In addition the name Doorjka remains on the door of Dooley’s residence.
Doorika legal counsel Carolin Shining, an expert in trademark law, insists Dooley is wrong. “Trademark law is very clear, and it says that rights to a mark are owned by the party that uses the mark in commerce,” she says. The complaint she filed on Doorika’s behalf contends that Doorika has used its name extensively since 1991 and consequently owns the rights to the name and the logo. Dooley’s legal counsel Robert Zeitner did not return calls to his office.
