Habitat sues founder over use of its name

<p>Habitat for Humanity International, which fired founder Millard Fuller earlier this year, has now filed a lawsuit to stop Fuller from using the Habitat name in his new homebuilding charity.</p><p>The federal lawsuit filed Tuesday asks a judge to order Fuller to stop using the Habitat name in his new group _ Building Habitat _ and to pay unspecified damages.</p><p>"This is a business issue," said Chris Clarke, Habitat for Humanity's senior vice president for communications. "It's not about personalities. It's about protecting a brand."</p><p>Fuller, who founded Habitat for Humanity in 1976, was fired Jan. 31 after more than a year of tension sparked by allegations that he sexually harassed a female colleague. He announced last month he had started Building Habitat to raise money for Habitat for Humanity International and had already received a commitment for $1 million.</p><p>He was not immediately available for comment Wednesday. He did not answer calls to his home or cell phone.</p><p>The dismissal of Fuller and his wife, Linda, has put a rift in the charity's large fundraising base. Habitat chapters around the world have a combined annual budget of about $748 million, but some longtime donors say they're upset about Fuller's dismissal and will stop giving money to the global nonprofit, which has built nearly 200,000 houses for 1 million people.</p><p>When Fuller announced in April that he had formed the group Building Habitat, he acknowledged the possibility of a lawsuit over the name.</p><p>The lawsuit argues that Fuller's use of the Habitat name infringes on Habitat for Humanity's trademarks. The international organization also claims his use of name could interfere with its business activities, hurt the group's reputation and confuse prospective donors.</p><p>"It's not unusual for us to let an organization know about our concerns about the use of a name that might infringe on ours," Clarke said. "We let Mr. Fuller know on more than one occasion of our concerns and his representative let us know as recently as Monday of their reluctance to even consider another name."</p><p>Fuller has stressed that he does not want his new organization to compete with his old one, but instead be a companion group in working to eliminate poverty housing.</p><p>In a statement released Wednesday, Habitat for Humanity said it had sent a letter to Fuller on April 5, threatening a lawsuit if he used the Habitat name. Two weeks later, Fuller announced he had started Building Habitat.</p><p>Habitat for Humanity's statement goes on to say that its name and reputation have become among the most respected and trusted in the country. "It is a reputation that literally thousands of people have helped build through their work in the United States and 99 other countries around the world," the group said.</p><p>Fuller is refurbishing a house in Americus, 165 miles straight south of Atlanta, to be the headquarters of his new group. Habitat for Humanity International's headquarters also is in Americus.</p><p>Fuller's new group already has received a $1 million contribution _ from Paul Amos, a founder of AFLAC Insurance, who has committed $1 million over the next five years, half of it to be used by Habitat for Humanity's affiliate in nearby Columbus, Ga., where the insurance company is headquartered.</p><p>---</p><p>Habitat for Humanity: www.habitat.org</p>

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