A Media Borough man who started a Moe’s Tavern pop-event is now being asked by Twentieth Century Fox to pay $1.3 million in damages for copyright and trademark infringement, writes Alex Rose for the Daily Times.
Joseph McCullough, JMC Pop Ups LLC and Samantha Shutter were named in a lawsuit filed last year in U.S. Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The Moe’s Tavern pop-up appeared around the nation, including at the Springfield Mall.
Moe’s Tavern is part of “The Simpsons,” owned by Fox.
The lawsuit claims the pop-ups took place without consent and benefitted the defendants financially.
A default judgement was entered in Fox’s favor in August when the defendants did not respond to the suit.
Fox is now asking U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond to enter a final judgement and order the defendants to pay.
The suit was filed by Ballard Spahr attorney Hara Jacobs on behalf of Fox. It claimed McCullough continued to run Moe’s Tavern pop-up events months after being asked to stop.
The Moe’s Pop Up website, now shut down, stated the pop-ups were a ‘fan-made parody event” not associated with The Simpsons, 20th Century Fox, Fox or Disney.
Find out more details about the lawsuit and what it is seeking from the defendants in the Daily Times.
Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on DELCO Today in March 2025.
