Dec. 01, 2004

Children's Medical Center Dallas files complaint for trademark infringement

Children's cites history of federally registered service mark, name and reputation

DALLAS (December 1, 2004) – Children's Medical Center Dallas has filed an infringement lawsuit against Columbia Hospital at Medical City Dallas Subsidiary, LP, in response to Columbia's recently announced name change of its pediatric services to "Medical City Children's."

"We are very concerned about the probability of brand confusion among our patient families and our referring physicians and hospitals," said Christopher J. Durovich, President and Chief Executive Officer at Children's. "We do not wish for the community to believe that Children's manages, operates or is in any way affiliated with a hospital for children at Medical City," he continued.

Children's Medical Center Dallas is the premier not-for-profit pediatric hospital in the North Texas region and is widely known as and commonly referred to as "Children's." In fact, a reference to Children's Medical Center Dallas as "Children's" appears on Medical City Dallas' own Web Site. During its more than 90-year history of providing pediatric care in North Texas, Children's has built considerable equity in its brand, logo and name.

In the lawsuit filed by Children's attorneys on Friday, November 12, the hospital requests that Medical City discontinue any further use of the proposed name of "Medical City Children's" and asks that it return to its prior name, North Texas Hospital for Children at Medical City, or some other name that is not likely to cause confusion among consumers, referring physicians and referral hospitals throughout the North Texas region.

Children's is prepared to devote its full resources to protect its name, reputation and goodwill. It is the hospital's desire to resolve this matter as quickly and cordially as possible.

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Children's Medical Center Dallas is a nationally acclaimed medical center providing care for more than 325,000 children each year with a wide scope of services including a comprehensive pediatric ICU, more than 50 specialty outpatient clinics and a state-of-the-art emergency center. North Texas families rely exclusively on Children's, which provides care for all children, regardless of a family's economic status. Expanding to meet the needs of the region's fast-growing pediatric population, Children's relies upon the generous philanthropic support of our community. Our mission is straightforward and significant: to make life better for children. Information about Children's can be found on the Internet at www.childrens.com.