MILWAUKEE (November 13, 2006) — Forget the small-town belief in letting bygones be bygones.
The star of “The Andy Griffith Show,” who portrayed the sheriff of the fictional town of Mayberry, has sued a Wisconsin man who unsuccessfully ran for the Grant County post after legally changing his name to Andrew Jackson Griffith.
The lawsuit, filed Nov. 3 in U.S. District Court in Madison, alleges that William Harold Fenrick, 42, violated trademark and copyright laws, as well as the privacy of actor Andy Samuel Griffith, when he used his new name to promote his candidacy for sheriff in southwestern Wisconsin.
The former Fenrick changed his name for the “sole purpose of taking advantage of Griffith’s notoriety in an attempt to gain votes,” the lawsuit says. It asks the court to order him to go back to his original name andfor him to publish disclaimers and an apology in newspapers that say he has no association with the actor. It seeks unspecified damages and court fees.
The candidate argues he did not benefit from the name change.
“During this campaign I never sold or profited even one nickel from the use of the name Andy Griffith or any item bearing the name Andy Griffith. Everything was a promotional item, and everything was given away for free,” he said.
The former Fenrick says the lawsuit is “incredibly absurd” and he doesn’t think people actually believe he’s the actor.
The music store co-owner said he spent $5,000 on his failed campaign and changed his name to garner publicity for the race. He finished behind two others.
The 80-year-old actor is best known for the 1960s show bearing his name, which remains one of the most popular series in TV history. He also played an unorthodox lawyer on “Matlock” in the 1980s and 1990s.
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