In-N-Out Prank Warning | Mercury News
In-N-Out Burger Takes Legal Action Against Prankster Over Lewd Videos
The popular Southern California burger chain, In-N-Out Burger, is cracking down on online pranksters. The company filed a lawsuit June 20 in Santa Ana against Bryan Arnett, a content producer from Fillmore, CA.
The lawsuit alleges business defamation, copyright infringement, and common law trespass. In-N-Out seeks a jury trial, according to the 21-page complaint.
According to the complaint, Arnett allegedly filmed himself at several In-N-Out locations on Easter Sunday, a day the chain was closed.He is accused of posing as an In-N-Out employee and making ”lewd, derogatory and profane” comments about the brand to customers who arrived at the locations. The company claims Arnett then posted these prank videos on social media and did not remove them after being asked.
Arnie Wensinger, In-N-Out Burger’s chief legal and business officer, stated the company aims to protect its brand and customers.”For over seven decades, we have worked hard to create a welcoming and enjoyable experience for every Customer who visits us,” Wensinger said. “Recently, we have seen an increase in online media personalities who have chosen to play pranks or practical jokes that are designed to embarrass, humiliate, or upset our Customers, their families, and our Associates.”
Wensinger added, “These individuals have engaged in behavior that includes deception, trespass, lewdness, and other actions that have then been posted on social media for their personal and monetary gain at the expense of our Customers and the In-N-Out Burger brand. By filing this lawsuit, we are putting all such individuals on notice that In-N-Out Burger will aggressively pursue all legal rights against these individuals going forward.”
Following the court filing, news outlets including KTLA and CBS picked up the story. The videos in question appear to have been removed from social media.
What’s next
In-N-Out Burger, currently headquartered in Irvine, CA, plans to relocate to Baldwin Park, where it was founded in 1948. The company is also expanding into Tennessee, establishing an “eastern territory” hub.