Jokers Disco Pushes Suit to Prohibit Comedy Club’s Use of Same Name

Jokers, a disco in Costa Mesa, has gone to court to prohibit a comedy club at the Hyatt Regency Alicante Hotel in Garden Grove from using the same name. The comedy club disputes the disco’s right to exclusive use of the Jokers name but has dropped it to avoid litigation, according to an attorney representing the hotel management.

The owner of the disco, Thomas Elsea, said earlier this week that he is continuing to press the case in Orange County Superior Court. Elsea is seeking an unspecified amount of money on grounds that his business has been harmed by confusion arising from the comedy club’s use of the name.

Elsea said the disco, formerly called Kiss, changed its name to Jokers in early July. The comedy club took the name in August, said David Gladstone of Off & Running Entertainment, which books the club for the hotel and has presented the weekend-only shows for the past 10 weeks. Gladstone said the comedy club would be renamed in January.

Meanwhile, the hotel’s attorney, who asked not to be identified, said: “We’ve denied there have been any damages or that they have the exclusive right to use the (Jokers) name.” The only reason for dropping the name, he added, is that “it’s cheaper and easier to switch than fight. Our goal is not to litigate the issue but to resolve it.”