Remo Saraceni, the inventor of the giant floor piano featured in the movie “Big,” has been fighting FAO Schwarz over a trademark infringement for over a year now, writes Ximena Conde for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Saraceni is accusing the new owners of FAO Schwarz of selling a “confusingly similar imitation of the “Big Piano” made famous in the movie without offering him a buy-in.

Saraceni, who at age 88 lives in his assistant’s Swarthmore home, created the Big Piano in 1982.

The piano became part of the movie “Big” after screenwriter Anne Spielberg saw it in the FAO Schwarz showroom.

“The piano was instant success immediately, all over,” said Saraceni. “The piano became like an icon all over the world. … It is some sort of people’s energy gathering to celebrate life and love through music and light.”

Saraceni’s relationship with FAO Schwarz deteriorated in recent years after the brand was picked up by equity-backed ThreeSixty Group in 2016.  Now Saraceni and the new FAO Schwarz owners MerchScource LLC are in a trademark infringement battle. 

Saraceni, now living on a limited income, is in debt $26,000 in legal fees for his trademark fight, according to his assistant.

Find out more details about this Big Piano battle in The Philadelphia Inquirer.