Beretta, the Italian arms manufacturer, sued General...

Beretta, the Italian arms manufacturer, sued General Motors Corp. for $250 million, claiming that its centuries-old reputation for fine workmanship will be ruined if the car maker continues producing a four-wheeled Beretta. Fabrica D’Armi P. Beretta SpA, maker of firearms since the late 15th century, charged GM with trademark infringement and unfair competition in a federal lawsuit. Beretta said its lawyers warned GM about using the Beretta name a year before the auto maker unveiled the Chevrolet model in 1987. The arms maker said the company had registered trademarks in the United States for the Beretta name as far back as 1954. General Motors had no comment on the suit.