It's Parks' v. Park's in hot dog trademark showdown

Parks' and Park's may sound awfully alike, but a judge says consumers are nevertheless unlikely to be confused, in a ruling in a trademark case over hot dogs.

Pittsburgh-based Parks L.L.C., which is owned by former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris and former Baltimore Colts running back Lydell Mitchell, had sued Springdale, Arkansas-based Tyson Foods Inc. claiming that Tyson's “Park's Finest” hot dogs infringed on its trademarked Parks' sausages.

The sausages are well known for their long-running ad campaign in which a boy asks for “More Parks' sausages Mom … please.”

In his ruling Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Leeson in Allentown, Pennsylvania, said he did not believe consumers were likely to be confused between Tyson's hot dogs and the sausages, according to a news report.

The judge said Tyson and its Hillshire Brands unit chose the “Park's Finest” name became it referred to their Ball Park brand, and that Parks had found only a handful of people who thought it made the Tyson hot dogs.