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The contractual dispute with Nathan's hot dog

In case you don't know about the contract before Hungry's Premiere.

July 4th, 2011 I ate hot dogs against a clock, in New York City.
It was at a special stage with a view right in front of the Empire State Building, called 230 Fifth
Rooftop Bar (the biggest rooftop bar in NYC).

Last year, when it seemed impossible to confirm a reasonable contract, I finally had my lawyer
Chet Olsen, contact the president of the hot dog company (Nathan's), I had problems with, (who is the host of the competition); to let me compete. The answer from the hot dog company was, to have a
contract with the association (who does the pr for this one day event every year).

In the contract, it did not allow me to participate with a hot dog in any way, in any event, under any circumstance - so the hot dog company, would have been able to guard and control my actions of work, through the association. It was a contract for only one day to be in a hot dog contest, which took over all exclusive rights to work for over one year (including "food" in general!)

" 6. Non-Compete. During the Term of the Agreement, Competitor
agrees not to engage in any of the following activities without the written consent of the IFOCE:

A. Endorse, or participate in any way in an event or promotion, for a brand in the following categories: Hot Dog (This includes any brand that is primarily known for frankfurters/hot dogs such as Hebrew National, Oscar Meyer, Ball Park, Bar-S, Sabrett, Kahn's, Eckrich, Kayem Foods/Al Fresco and FUD).
. . . .
B. Participate, compete, host, judge, endorse , promote or participate in any way in any event, exhibition or performance wherein a person eats as a stunt, consuming a very large amount of food, consuming food very quickly, or attempting to establish or break a food consumption record, or
competing against another person(s), animal or time clock. "
(This contract is the same as the original one, which my lawyer Chet Olsen also has. )


I still tried to negotiate through my lawyer Chet Olsen, but since they did not have a lawyer, we could not seem to have a conversation based on professionalism and law, to reach an agreement.
I believe that the contestant's private agent and publicity should be separated from the competition, so I had explained to my manager that I was not going to participate in their hot dog competition from an early time- if the contract could not be changed.

As the story goes, eventually we never came to an agreement and I was unable to take part in the contest. The rest is history as you know it- as for me getting arrested, being dismissed from the courts, and gaining my freedom.
Kobayashi VS. nathan's.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxvqj8QQ930&list=PLE9BA2069B782689F