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"A.I." Suing The Pants Off "Stripper Idol"

Posted Dec 18th 2008 3:00PM by TMZ Staff

The people behind "American Idol" love amateurs -- just not the kind you find in strip clubs.



FremantleMedia -- the massive corporation that created "American Idol" -- is suing the owners of the Palazio Men's Club in Texas -- which the suit describes as "a gentlemen's club at which women remove off their clothes while dancing to music" -- over a $500 stripper competition they held called "Stripper Idol."

In the lawsuit, filed this week in U.S District Court in Texas, Fremantle claims Palazio's competition -- which allegedly jacked Idol's name and trademarked logo -- has tarnished the singing show's good name.

Fremantle is looking to strip away the club's profits from "S.I." -- along with collecting on all damages sustained and legal fees accrued from the suit.

The club's owner, Lampros, told us: "I don't feel they have any grounds to sue ... This is just our way of inticing [sic] people to come out and have a good time and contribute to the economic crisis that is going on."

Tags: american idol, AmericanIdol, FremantleMedia, Stripper Idol, StripperIdol

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1. First!

Posted at 3:14PM on Dec 18th 2008 by Jewels

2. Dammit, I was gonna go last week. Local Austin talent ftw!

Posted at 3:23PM on Dec 18th 2008 by Buckshot

3. "Remove off their clothes", huh?

Posted at 3:43PM on Dec 18th 2008 by John

4. HAHA!! Remove off their clothes - LOL!!! They should call it IDIOT IDOL!!!

Posted at 4:26PM on Dec 18th 2008 by ZELISTA

5. A small strip club holds an event that probably no one will really hear about in the city it is in let alone the rest of the country. Now greedy FremantleMedia decides to sue the club bringing the whole thing to the attention of the whole country and world. Seems like they are the ones that are tarnishing the singing show's good name.

I had heard a commercial for this event on the radio but forgot about it. Thanks for reminding me about it FremantleMedia!

Posted at 4:46PM on Dec 18th 2008 by TXGuy

6. that's all nice and pretty but they are using a different name and since the different name is in the logo, that means the logo is not the same.
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Are you stupid? Seriously.

First, they used he same font, which was developed FOR AI. Second the design of the logo is nearly the same, barring a couple minor changes , which is NOT enough to make it a different logo. Finally, they may hold the rights to the usage of the term "Idol"

Posted at 4:49PM on Dec 18th 2008 by MLD

7. A small strip club holds an event that probably no one will really hear about ....
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Well... obviously SOMEONE heard about it, because it got back to FreeMantle.

Posted at 4:52PM on Dec 18th 2008 by MLD

8. Like it was their idea in the first place. I mean shouldn't Chuck Barris, creator of the gong show, sue fremantle for coopting that show?

Posted at 5:26PM on Dec 18th 2008 by uncle jed

9. The guys name is Lambros not Lampros and it is NOT a small club. It is actually one of the nicer ones here in Austin, which by the way is not a small city. AND it was advertised on the back of just about every cab in town for at least 2 months. hmmmmm, wonder how anyone found out about it? DUMMIES

Posted at 5:34PM on Dec 18th 2008 by Niki

10. Palazio is so awesome, everyone enjoysgoing there. Theres nothing wrong with promoting ur club and giving people in town something to do. Some people may find it all offensive, just being that its a strip club, but u know we've all been to one at least once :) Lambros is an amazing owner, an awesome person, and I'm sure this was never his intention for this to happen. But way to go to the media, I bet Palazios gonna be packed now, lol...way to promote the club you're sueing.

Posted at 12:59AM on Jan 15th 2009 by I love Greeks!

11. Contribute to the economic crisis? When you are wasting your money to put into the g-string of some siliconed bimbo, you are contributing to your own economic crisis.

Posted at 5:52PM on Dec 18th 2008 by Erin

12. Those girls need income too, don't be a hater. Some of us aren't in an economic crisis. Texas FTW!

Posted at 6:38PM on Dec 18th 2008 by Buckshot

13. American Idol needs to get a life. A for fun contest based on their lame show is simply fun. It's not insulting. It's not damaging. Making a big deal out of it makes AI and FreeMantle look bad and they are tarnishing their own image. If anything being copied in this way is a form of flattery. The Austin club owners could have done the same thing without relying on the over-hyped American Idol.

Posted at 6:59PM on Dec 18th 2008 by JT

14. I think if anything Fantasia Barrino tarnished the name of American Idol not some strip club talent show with a stolen logo and theme song.

Posted at 7:57PM on Dec 18th 2008 by Leigh

15. The strippers are better looking in Texas. Just natural girls. The gIrls are way hotter in Texas. Cali girls are all ugly stuck up bimbos. Stripper Idol is funny.

I hope the strip club wins against the EVIL LARGE CORPORATION that owns AI. They even tired to keep the young kid last year from signing a record deal with Warner Bros,..urm the kid who lived in his van, who got booted off last year from the show.
I guess they think they own everything. Even people's music who get voted off the show.

Posted at 8:14PM on Dec 18th 2008 by Jack Shite

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