Fitness Guru Sued Over Karaoke Concept

LOS ANGELES (CN) – A fitness expert and artists manager has sued the son and daughter of Tae Boe fitness guru Billy Blanks claiming they have refused to share revenues from a fitness/karaoke concept that the plaintiff created.     Anthony P. Riccio, in a complaint filed in Superior Court, said that Billy Blanks, Jr. and Sharon Blanks fraudulently applied for a trademark on the name “Cardioke” without his knowledge and later refused to pay 30% of the gross profits from the venture as promised in a “silent partner” agreement.     According to the suit, Riccio told the Blanks in 2006 about his idea of “merging the singing, performance, dancing and concepts of karaoke into one fitness and entertainment concept.” The Blanks who were launching a music with Riccio as their manager, called the concept “Karaokecise.”     Riccio later came up with the name “Cardioke” for the program that included “an interactive physical and visual jumbo screen cardio-vascular, sing-a-long/karaoke work out … incorporating proper diaphragmatic performance breathing while being able to accommodate all genres of music.”     The program was to include fitness centers, live nationwide tours and video sales.     The suit was filed by Walter Batt.