TRENTON, N.J. —  Mister Softee plays hardball when it comes to its jingle and ice cream trucks.

Danny's Soft Serve of Clark, N.J., agreed Tuesday to settle a lawsuit filed last year by the venerable ice cream vendor, which has roving franchises in 15 states.

Danny's agreed to stop using the Mister Softee jingle and repaint its trucks. The upstart company had been using a blue-and-white color scheme similar to Mister Softee's. Danny's also agreed to pay $4,000 in legal fees.

Mister Softee lawyer Jeffrey Zucker says his Runnemede-based client must defend itself against imitators every summer.

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Information from: The Star-Ledger, http://www.nj.com/starledger

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