‘The Krusty Krab’ Is Not a Restaurant Name That’s Up For Grabs, Says Nickelodeon

This week, a Houston man will appear before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in order to argue that he should be allowed to open a restaurant called The Krusty Krab.

Last year, Eater reported that a Houston district court judge barred Javier Ramos Jr. and his company IJR Capital Investments from opening The Krusty Krab, an actual restaurant inspired by Spongebob Squarepants’ fictional workplace, in Kemah. Ramos has since appealed that decision, arguing that Viacom, the company that owns Nickelodeon and the Spongebob trademark, doesn’t own the rights to “The Krusty Krab.” Viacom, of course, disputes that assertion.

According to Courthouse News Service, IJR Capital Investments appealed the ruling to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that Ramos came up with the name on his own. Ramos told the court that he got the idea for the name from “the crust that sticks to the top of crabs when they are put in a seafood boil,” but he’s also admitted to Googling “The Krusty Krab” and seeing it in association with Spongebob Squarepants before submitting the application for a trademark that inspired Viacom to sue him.

The Fifth Circuit has not announced when it will issue a ruling on whether or not Ramos can open his Krusty Krab restaurant, but no one can say that the man isn’t persistently pursuing his seafood dreams.

• Viacom Files Lawsuit Against Would-Be Krusty Krab Restaurant Owners [Eater]
• Houston Is Not Getting The Krusty Krab Restaurant It Deserves [EHOU]
• Dispute Over Krusty Krab Restaurant Lands in Fifth Circuit [Courthouse News Service]