One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Guy Sues IHOP For Stealing His 'Pancake Pile' Game Idea
An IHOP in Downtown Los Angeles (Photo by spins_lps via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
Two things we love, addictive iPhone games and cheap pancakes, came into conflict when the creator of the “Pancake Pile” app sued IHOP for allegedly putting a similar game on its website.Michael Levinson, the creator of a game in which you get points for stacking up the most pancakes, sued Glendale-based IHOP parent company DineEquity Inc. for putting a similar game called “Pancake Pile-Up” on its own site, the Los Angeles Times reported.
According to the suit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Levinson said he met with IHOP to put the game on their site in a mutually exclusive deal. They declined, then put up a similar game on its site called “Pancake Pile-Up.” He’s seeking unspecified damages.
You can pick up “Pancake Pile” for 99 cents on the App Store, which is cheaper than a cup of coffee at IHOP.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
