‘Coming To America’ Pop-Up Restaurant Sued at Copyright Board

The makers of the “Coming to America” films have sued a pop-up restaurant company for pulling the fictional McDowell’s restaurant from the silver screen to the real world.

Paramount Pictures Corp. filed a claim at the Copyright Claims Board—a three-member administrative tribunal that opened its doors in June as a voluntary, low-cost alternative to federal court for copyright disputes valued at $30,000 or less. It claims that JMC Pop Ups LLC misused Paramount’s intellectual property to “deceive parents and children” into believing that the restaurant was affiliated with or authorized by Paramount.

Paramount produced two romantic comedies starring Eddie Murphy, ...