American ORT filed suit against its former Israeli partner over use of the name ORT. American ORT is the American fund-raising arm of World ORT, which runs an international system of Jewish-based vocational schools. Until this fall, World ORT also oversaw Israel ORT, the management company for some 162 schools in Israel. The Israeli branch split with the world organization, claiming it was
not receiving enough funding from the parent group.ORT Israel would not comment on the suit, filed in U.S. District Court in New York,
until it had a chance to review it, a source close to the situation
said. ORT Israel had filed suit Jan. 26 with the U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office claiming that the ORT name — an
acronym for Organization for Rehabilitation through Training — has
become generic and Israel ORT should be allowed to use it.”For ORT Israel to come to America and use the ORT name and trademark
for their own fund-raising is wrong,” Judy Menikoff, president of ORT
America, said in a statement.World ORT is trying to establish itself in Israel through new programming, while Israel ORT is about to start a non-profit organization to raise funds in the United States.
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