Arvada pastor and radio host Bob Enyart changed the name of his talk show about science this month to settle a lawsuit filed by the creators of “Science Friday” on NPR.
Enyart’s newly named “Real Science Radio” program had been called “Real Science Friday,” which led to him being sued in November for trademark infringement and cybersquatting in New York state and federal courts by ScienceFriday Inc.
“Science Friday” representatives said the similarity in names was confusing people and detouring them to Enyart’s website, kgov.com.
“We changed the name of our program to settle the trademark suit,” Enyart told The Denver Post Monday. “It was settled to the satisfaction of all parties. It’s a confidential settlement. That’s all I can say.”
The court order was issued in late December.
Enyart, a self-described fundamentalist Christian pastor of the 60-member Denver Bible Church, said he uses his show to challenge mainstream science journalism. He believes the world’s age is measured in thousands, not billions, of years, in accordance with biblical passages and, he claims, mounting scientific evidence.
Enyart has had a science talk show since 1991, but he renamed it “Real Science Friday” in 2006. He estimates his radio program on KLTT-670 AM and podcasts have several thousand listeners.
Enyart and co-host Fred Williams, also named in the suit, said they were out to rebut conventional scientific thought, such as Darwinism and other “old earth” theories. They sometimes host and debate scientists on the program.
ScienceFriday Inc. said it filed the suit to protect its federally registered rights for a program that airs on 300 NPR stations and is available on podcasts. They also offer extensive online content.
“Our main concern has been ensuring that people searching for Science Friday content don’t end up confused by what they find,” ScienceFriday Inc. spokesman Christian Skotte said Monday. “We’ve spent over 20 years building a reputation as a trusted source of science news and information, and we want to make sure we protect that trust whenever possible.”
The suit, filed Nov. 9 in New York Supreme Court and in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, claimed using the name “Real Science Friday” and a knockoff logo to promote Enyart’s radio show and website violated its rights. ScienceFriday Inc. demanded Enyart stop using the name and logo, purge them from any other Internet outlets, transfer the Internet domain, and surrender CDs and other materials for sale bearing the name or logo. The suit also asked for Enyart’s financial records and sought financial damages of not less than $100,000 pursuant to the Anticyberspace Squatting Consumer Protection Act.
Enyart said he’s happy with his show’s new name, “Real Science Radio.”
Electa Draper: 303-954-1276, edraper@denverpost.com or twitter.com/electadraper
