‘The Krusty Krab’ Is Not a Restaurant Name That’s Up For Grabs, Says Nickelodeon | Eater Houston

"A proposed, SpongeBob SquarePants–inspired seafood restaurant planned for Kemah by Houston entrepreneur Javier Ramos Jr. and his company IJR Capital Investments, the venture has been blocked by a federal district judge after Viacom challenged the use of a name associated with the cartoon. Ramos has appealed to the Fifth Circuit, insisting he coined the name independently—saying it referred to the crust that forms on crabs in a seafood boil—though he also admitted searching the name online and finding ties to the show before seeking a trademark. Viacom (owner of Nickelodeon and the SpongeBob trademark) disputes Ramos’s account; the appeals court has not yet ruled, and Ramos remains determined to pursue the restaurant project." - Amy McCarthy