Lawyer son loses trademark fight with lawyer dad, can't use own name for firm

George Sink Sr. is well-known to South Carolina couch potatoes thanks to the endless rotation of ads pitching his personal injury firm. George Sink Jr. is his son, also a lawyer, and now forbidden from using his own name to market his own firm.

A federal judge on Friday issued a temporary restraining order banning the younger Sink from using the "George Sink" name on his firm's website, social media accounts and email address. The ban will stay in place until the case is heard by an arbitrator. The elder Sink's corporation - George Sink P.A. Personal Injury Lawyers - sued Sink Jr. in April to stop him from using his birth name professionally, saying it violates trademark laws and confuses consumers.

Sink the Younger used to work for his dad but was fired by him: first from the family firm, then from the family name.