“L” is for “lawsuit.”

The parent organization behind “Sesame Street” is suing the studio STX over the upcoming Melissa McCarthy movie “The Happytime Murders,” alleging that the sexually explicit comedy set in an imaginary world of humans and puppets infringes on its trademarks and intellectual property and degrades the long-running children’s television show.

The complaint alleges that the movie – which STX is scheduled to release in August – tarnishes the “Sesame Street” brand by depicting “Sesame”-like puppets in adult situations, including scenes depicted in a recently released trailer that show seedy puppet characters engaging in drug use, gun violence and sex.

Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Children’s Television Workshop, filed the suit last week in a New York federal court. It said the movie’s marketing tagline – “No Sesame. All Street” – “deliberately confuses” consumers into believing that “Sesame Street” is associated with and has endorsed the movie.

The nonprofit organization is asking the court to prevent STX from infringing on its protected trademarks and intellectual property. Sesame also is seeking unspecified damages.

A spokesperson for the Burbank-based STX Entertainment said the filmmakers partnered with the Jim Henson Co. on the movie. The late Jim Henson helped to create many of the original “Sesame Street” characters. His son, Brian, is the director of “The Happytime Murders.”

STX’s attorney said in a statement: “While we’re disappointed that ‘Sesame Street’ does not share in the fun, we are confident in our legal position. We look forward to introducing adult moviegoers to our adorably unapologetic characters this summer.”