Mister Softee Wages War on Master Softee Copycat

As ice cream trucks start to hit the streets again, a legal battle is brewing between Mister Softee and a new competitor named Master Softee. The new fleet of soft serve trucks is the work of Dimitrios Tsirkos, an errant former Mister Softee vendor, and is not easy to distinguish from the real deal. The trucks have the same blue and white color scheme, the same cursive lettering, and the same bow tie-clad ice cream cone mascot. The only difference is that Master Softee has a sugar cone for a face, while Mister Softee has a cake cone. The ice cream itself is also allegedly different.

Mister Softee owner Jim Conway is currently suing Tsirkos for trademark infringement, and tells the Daily News that Master Softee is only the most recent in a long line of copycats during his company's 58 years in business. Master Softee vendors are preparing to fight, saying they prefer to work for the knockoff because it doesn't charge them the yearly $3,400 royalty fee that the original does.
· Mister Softee vs. Master Softee [NYDN]
· All Coverage of Mister Softee [~ENY~]