A Northeast auctioneer on Wednesday defended use of “Gatsby” in his New York company’s name despite a lawsuit filed by Atlanta-based Great Gatsby’s Auction Gallery.
In the suit filed recently in Fulton County Superior Court, Great Gatsby’s accuses Gatsby and Brunson Gallery Inc. of Great Neck, N.Y., of trademark infringement over the name.
Will Jiang, co-founder and chief executive of Gatsby and Brunson, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution his company chose the name because both his company and the fictional town of West Egg in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, “The Great Gatsby,” are on Long Island.
“We have no desire of having any connection with the auction house based in Atlanta,” Jiang told the AJC in an email. “We don’t even sell the same types of items. They mostly sell American and European items, while we focus on Asian antiques.”
Gatsby and Brunson was founded last year and specializes in live and online auctions of Asian antiquities.
Great Gatsby’s, at 5180 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., has been in business for nearly 30 years, specializing in rare antiques, investment quality art, fine collectibles and classic cars.
An attorney for Great Gatsby’s said the similar names and auction services could confuse potential customers and hurt its business. The Atlanta company is seeking unspecified damages.
“It’s a small world when you’re talking about high-end auction business, and when you have two participants in that business that share a name it becomes somewhat confusing,” Atlanta attorney Cary Ichter, who is representing Great Gatsby’s, told the AJC on Tuesday.
Ichter said Great Gatsby’s customers have gone online and confused the company’s online presence with that of Gatsby and Brunson’s. A large portion of auction activity is done online, whether it’s customers’ previewing items up for bid or customers’ participating in live auctions via a website.
Ichter said the company “attempted to get things resolved” before filing its suit. Jiang said, “At this point, I am letting my attorney [handle] this matter.”
In addition to trademark infringement, Great Gatsby’s accuses Gatsby and Brunson of violation of fair business practices and fraud.
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