'Naked Cowboy' Sues for $6 Million!

For nearly a decade, Robert Burck has been a fixture in Times Square, where he strums a guitar on a street corner while dressed in his skimpy signature costume. In a lawsuit filed this week in Manhattan federal court, Burck said that two oversized Times Square billboards that promote M&Ms used his look without compensating him. The billboards feature a scantily clad blue M&M with a guitar alongside views of New York including street scenes and the Statue of Liberty. Burck is suing privately held Mars Inc., which makes M&Ms, and Chute Gerdeman Inc., an Ohio agency that he said created the ad, for trademark infringement. Neither company was immediately available for comment. "Just like The Naked Cowboy does on a daily basis in Times Square, the M&M is not only dressed as "The Naked Cowboy ," it is playing the Naked Cowboy 's distinctive white guitar in the cartoon," the lawsuit said. Mars and Chute Gerdeman "decided to exploit and trade upon The Naked Cowboy 's well-recognized likeness without a license and without furnishing any compensation," the lawsuit said. Burck has trademarked his signature look and has made several television and movie appearances in costume, including for a televised audition on the "American Idol" reality TV program, the lawsuit said.
Burck has made a significant living off of his trademark as the “Naked Cowboy” and M&M did imitate him without paying him, which is wrong. However, for this man to sue for 6 million dollars is a bit ridiculous. It is ridiculous enough that he has made a living off such a stupid performance, however good for him if we as Americans want to pay him to do these stupid antics fine. However, for this man to become a millionaire because the Mars candy company made an M&M look like him is outrageous. He should be able to get some money because they did steal his logo but he would have gladly sold them the rights to use it if they had asked for a great deal cheaper guaranteed. Now because he knows he can make money off of it he is just plain greedy and making a big deal over candy.