NEW YORK - Fox News Channel has sued liberal humorist Al Franken and the Penguin Group to stop them from using the phrase "fair and balanced" in the title of his upcoming book.
Filed Monday in Manhattan, the trademark infringement lawsuit seeks a court order forcing a Penguin publisher, Dutton books, to rename the book, "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right." It also asks for unspecified damages.
Fox News registered "Fair & Balanced" as a trademark in 1995, the suit says.
Franken's "intent is clear - to exploit Fox News' trademark, confuse the public as to the origins of the book and, accordingly, boost sales of the book," the suit said.
Dutton spokeswoman Lisa Johnson accused Fox News' parent company, News Corp., of trying to suppress the book.
"The attempt to keep the public from reading Franken's message is un-American," she said.
