RAISIN AD BRINGS HIS WRATH--AND SUIT

A $150-million lawsuit has been filed in U.S. District Court by a New York man who contends his idea for animated raisins was stolen for the television commercials featuring dancing, singing raisins.

The suit was filed by Robert Reiter, formerly a raisin packing plant manager in Fresno who now lives in New York.

It names the California Raisin Advisory Board, its officers and its advertising firm, Foote Cone & Belding, as defendants.

The suit contends that Reiter owns the trademark and copyright to the dancing raisins who sing “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” in television commercials promoting raisin sales.

Reiter charged in the suit that the American and Canadian copyright and trademark rights for the raisin characters are owned by his company, Cory, Van Rijin Inc.

In the suit, Reiter charged that the raisin advisory board copied the designs for the raisin characters without Reiter’s permission and without paying him royalties.

Board President William Bonner denied that Reiter’s design was copied and said he was advised by the board’s attorney that the suit has no merit.