Pancakes or prayer? IHOP sues mission over acronym

[September 16, 2010]  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The International House of Pancakes is suing another IHOP, the International House of Prayer, saying the church mission shouldn't be allowed to take advantage of the restaurant chain's famous name and acronym.

The Kansas City Star reports that the chain says it sued only after the church mission refused repeated requests to stop using the IHOP acronym. Restaurant spokesman Patrick Lenow said the church has expanded and some branches are serving food. The lawsuit was filed last week in federal court in Los Angeles.

Gary Cooper, a former Houston attorney who until recently served as the church mission's chief financial officer, said he didn't think the lawsuit had any legal basis. The religious group, which promotes its belief in daily, continuous prayer, has drawn thousands of people to Kansas City since it opened 10 years ago.

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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com/

[Associated Press]

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