MADD DARNED ANGRY ABOUT SOUND-ALIKE GROUP

DAMMADD Leader Says Complaint Is Without Substance

MADD? No, DAMMADD.

The mad mothers who channeled their anger about drunken drivers into a
national nonprofit movement have plenty of ire left over for a new group:
mad dads.

A spat over acronyms landed in Dallas federal court this week when
Irving-based Mothers Against Drunk Drivers sued the New York-based Dads and
Mad Moms Against Drug Dealers for service trademark infringement.

MADD wants DAMMADD to get rid of the name. DAMMADD wants MADD to get over
it. The main question this week was who's madder?

"It's greediness. It's all money-driven for them," said Steven Steiner, who
founded DAMMADD after his son died of an overdose of prescription pills
last year. "Maybe they're just jealous because I've had a lot of national
TV coverage, and they want some."

Not so, said Herbert Hammond, the Dallas trademark attorney representing
MADD. He said DAMMADD is capitalizing on name recognition that took MADD
nearly 20 years of public service to build.

DAMMADD's indifference to months of MADD pleas for a name change forced the
suit, he said.

"It's a pretty famous trademark. Everyone knows what that is, and DAMMADD
is trading on the reputation," Mr. Hammond said. "People may believe that
MADD somehow sponsors or is associated with this organization, when they
aren't. That's the problem."

Mr. Steiner's grass-roots organization of six parents, based in Tioga
Center, N.Y., focuses on jailing drug dealers with reward money and a tip
line. The group claims 23 arrests and 10 convictions on reward payouts of
about $1,300.

Mr. Steiner said inspiration for the name came soon after his son died.