Ormond Beach man suing ABC

A local man is taking on a giant TV network. Joe Sammartano's suing ABC TV claiming the network stole his logo design for his non-profit group. His lawsuit claims the network's logo is a "colorable imitation" of his logo. So he says he's fighting ABC because it's the right thing to do. Sammartano is a positive, patriotic guy.

"I've always been Ameri-CAN. I can. You can. We can."

The Ormond Beachwas an army military police captain until a back injury in the late 70's.
10-years after that... he decided to help his country with a non-profit... anti-drug group called AmeriCAN.
He says the group's mission has changed a little.

"AmeriCAN inspires people to be positive... ah... no matter how down you are. AmeriCAN will always lift your spirits up."

Joe says he designed the logo for his AmeriCAN.
It's red, white and blue.
The "CAN" is all in caps with a star inside the "A."
He trademarked it 20-years ago.
But recently he saw what he calls a ripoff of his logo on ABC T-V.

"I actually saw it on 'Good Morning America.' It was a segment. And I was shocked!"

He reached out and simply asked a-b-c to stop using it.
Then he decided to sue.

"They're completely denying any... any type of ah... likeness... which is insane!"

ABC did alter its logo.
This is what it looks like now.
But they're still using it.
Sammartano filed his federal lawsuit November 9th.
"This was created for the people. Not for Disney... not for ABC. This is for the people... to help us through the economy... drugs and everything else."

He says he knows the fight will be tough and expensive. But he will not stop.

"This is the real 'David and Golilath.'"

Joe Sammartano says his next move is rallying military veterans across the country to get behind his cause.
He says he's already contacted more than 4-hundred veterans organizations.

FOX 35 contacted ABC News to get their side of this story.
It's a very brief and simple statement.
A spokesperson told us by phone and e-mail: "We consider the lawsuit to be without merit and are contesting it."