Legal News

AMPAS not amused by faux Oscar use

By Richard Binder

Last Friday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences sued Monte Carlo Productions, Chief Executive R. Bruce Nixon and company president John Brown in U.S. District Court in Atlanta. The Academy accused Monte Carlo of copyright and trademark violations associated with the company's unauthorized use of the coveted gold Oscar statuette at "Night At the Oscars" Hollywood-themed parties it offered as part of its events-planning business.

The Academy is seeking an injunction that would bar Monte Carlo from using the name Oscar or any Oscar replicas, $150,000 for willful infringement of its copyright and trademark, customer records and sales related to parties where the Oscar replicas were displayed, treble damages based on those profits, the delivery and destruction of all of Monte Carlo's Oscars and legal fees.

The Academy's suit was prompted by the appearance last October of what it called Monte Carlo's "ersatz Oscars" on the Bravo cable-TV show, "The Real Housewives of Atlanta." The faux Oscars were part of the décor at a televised charity event hosted by cast member DeShawn Snow.

To add insult to injury, the event cost Snow's foundation three times as much money as it raised, according to news reports.

Details at Fulton County Daily Report.

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on April 03, 2009 (boomark / email).