The federal lawsuit contends the show's name is so similar to the bar that it's confusing. The suit says operators of the 55-year-old bar refused to let the show use its name, so producers adopted a show title that's just one letter and a hyphen mark off.

The complaint says "Floribama Shore" is one of MTV's most popular shows, and it asks a court to prevent producers from using the name. Viacom hasn't responded in court, and a spokesman didn't immediately return an email seeking comment.