OFF BEAT: Apparel maker has 'Duck Dynasty' camo in its sights

A Florida apparel manufacturer is taking aim at a line of camouflaged T-shirts from the once-popular reality TV series “Duck Dynasty.”

Fort Pierce, Florida-based Hajn L.L.C. is suing New York-based A&E Television Networks Inc. for trademark infringement over the network’s use of the phrase “My favorite color is Camo” on some of its Duck Dynasty-branded merchandise.

In a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida Fort Pierce Division this week, Hajn notes that the company was issued a trademark for the disputed witticism a year before the show debuted.

“After the November 2011 issuance of the Camo Registration for the mark MY FAVORITE COLOR’S CAMO, A&E began selling a variety of merchandise that featured Si Robertson, one of the individuals featured in Duck Dynasty,” the lawsuit states. “This merchandise was based upon Si Robertson making a statement on one of the shows that “My favorite color is Camo.”

A&E, whose tagline is “be original,” has yet to respond to the charge that it is being unoriginal.