Chef with no name can’t call himself that
First, celebrity chef Kent Rathbun lost the rights to use his own name in a highly publicized legal battle with former partner Bill Hyde, Jr. The moniker was part of the intellectual capital that went to Hyde when the two dissolved their H2R Restaurants partnership last summer, since Rathbun was well known as the chef behind the company’s holdings, Jasper’s and Abacus.
In a bit of legal jujitsu, Rathbun responded by calling attention to his no-name status, a notable situation unto itself. He started referring to himself in business situations and on social media as the Chef With No Name, turning anonymity into a memorable identity.
But now the courts have blocked the chef from using that tag, saying it’s often accompanied by Rathbun’s likeness—another piece of equity belonging to H2R—and is readily connected to the chef, in violation of the dissolution agreement.
Rathbun has yet to reveal what he might now use as his ID.