Legal battle continues between IASG and KMG

GREENVILLE, S.C.--Litigation that began July 26 between Integrated Alarm Services Group and the Few family's King Monitoring Group (KMG), now renamed Legacy Security Services, continued through September. Legacy filed a legal response on Sept. 27, answering IASG's claims of federal trademark infringement and unfair competition, two of six total complaints originally filed against KMG. As the defendant, Legacy Security Services filed five total counterclaims against IASG, including a claim of abandonment of ownership of the name "King Central," and a claim of unfair competitive practices. Legacy also requested a trial by jury scheduled for selection on June 2, 2008, according to the court docket. Attorneys for both IASG and KMG did not return repeated calls for comment on the case. In the original lawsuit, IASG cited federal trademark infringement against KMG for the use of the name "King Monitoring." IASG maintains in the document that it owns the trademark rights to "King Central," a wholesale alarm monitoring company acquired as part of the Criticom International purchase from founder, Tom Few, Sr. who died on July 19. "KMG and the Few family willfully and deliberately chose to name their new alarm monitoring business, which competes directly with IASG and its affiliates, and which has a longstanding association with the Few Family, as King Monitoring," reads the document. In the defense portion of its response, Legacy, formerly KMG, states that IASG abandoned the rights to the name "King Central" and "comes before the court with unclean hands having caused the filing of the application for 'King Monitoring' without a bona fide intention to use such mark in commerce ... and because Plaintiff [IASG] is attempting to use this litigation to unfairly restrain competition by Defendant Legacy." Robert Few, who was named in the original suit as one of the Few family members previously employed by IASG and currently employed by Legacy/KMG, was unable to comment about the ongoing litigation. "I've been asked not to talk about this matter until it is settled," he said. KMG was scheduled to open its monitoring station on July 15 (search "Few Family Starts Anew" at www.securitysystemsnews.com). Few was unable to comment on the status of Legacy/KMG's operating status. IASG, the parent company of Criticom, merged with Protection One and integrated Criticom into its existing monitoring arm, called CMS. CMS declined comment. "As this case is in litigation, it would be inappropriate for us to comment on it at this time," said Robin Lampe, vice president of corporate communications for CMS.