KALAMAZOO, MI -- A longtime Kalamazoo movie theater is suing another that just opened in the city, claiming patrons are confused by their similar names.

Goodrich Quality Theaters Inc., which operates Kalamazoo 10, filed a lawsuit against American Multi-Cinema Inc., which opened the AMC Kalamazoo 10 on Nov. 2 in downtown Kalamazoo.

In its claim, Goodrich alleges trademark infringement and common law unfair competition, and requests a preliminary injunction. The lawsuit was filed Nov. 22 in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court and transferred to U.S. District Court on Dec. 8.

In the lawsuit, Goodrich says it has used the name Kalamazoo 10 for almost 20 years, since it opened in December 1997 at 820 Maple Hill Drive, and claims the theater's success inspired AMC to adopt a similar name. Goodrich operates 31 movie theaters, including 15 in Michigan.

"Not unexpectedly, this use of Goodrich's trademark has caused a considerable amount of actual confusion with the movie-going public, many of whom were unable, unsurprisingly, to pick up the initial letters AMC on the defendant's name," Goodrich's attorney Gregory Longworth wrote in the complaint. "Even vendors of movie theater services such (as) beverage and beer vendors have been confused."

The lawsuit alleges that IMDB.com, an online database related to movies and movie theater locations, replaced Kalamazoo 10 with the AMC Kalamazoo 10, and Google.com listed the AMC telephone number for Goodrich's movie theater. The motion for a preliminary injunction lists at least 50 instances in which Goodrich says customers or vendors showed up at its theater intending to arrive at AMC's theater.

"On numerous occasions, a customer bought tickets from Goodrich and requested refunds because the customer intended to purchase tickets from AMC' or arrived at Goodrich's Kalamazoo 10 expecting to be at the AMC theater, the lawsuit alleges.

Lawyers for AMC did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

AMC officials said when the theater opened it would be called AMC Kalamazoo 10 because "AMC" plus the city location and the number of movie screens is what AMC uses to set the name of its theaters.

AMC's website, Google and IMDB.com show the theater now is listed as "AMC Portage Street 10." It is located at the corner of Portage and South streets, in the space formerly occupied by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema before it closed in April.