IAB Sues MediaPost Over 'OMMA' Name

  • by February 21, 2005
By MediaPost staff

The Interactive Advertising Bureau filed a lawsuit Friday against MediaPost Communications and Fadner Media Enterprises over MediaPost's use of the name "OMMA," which stands for "Online Media, Marketing and Advertising."

Ken Fadner, publisher of MediaPost Communications, said he had not yet been served with legal papers. "I have not seen the complaint yet. I've only seen the press release," said Fadner. "I'm sure that our rights to the name will be established in time. And in the meantime, we are full speed ahead with our plans for the show in September, with lots of sponsors signing up."

In its lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York, the IAB alleges that MediaPost and the IAB developed the OMMA name together, in connection with the September 2004 Interactive Advertising World conference--a joint effort of the two organizations. The conference included an awards show, called the "OMMAs," or "Online Media, Marketing and Advertising Awards."

Last month, MediaPost spun off the online industry edition of Media magazine as OMMA magazine. MediaPost also announced last month that it partnered with The Acorn Group, South Orange, N.J., to produce the OMMA conference and trade show during advertising week in New York this September. Two weeks ago, MediaPost said it will launch OMMA West, a conference and expo in San Francisco, in June.

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The IAB is seeking an injunction prohibiting MediaPost from continuing to use the OMMA name, and claimed in its complaint that at least three companies have recently contacted the IAB about the 2005 OMMA awards. "All the IAB wants to do is stop the use of the name because it causes confusion," said IAB spokeswoman Cathy Callegari.

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