Suit Seeks Compensation for Damages and Injunction In Connection With Palliser’s Unlicensed Use of the Brando Name
LOS ANGELES–LAWFUEL – Entertainment and Licensing Law –The Marlon Brando Estate and Living Trust has filed a lawsuit against Palliser Furniture Ltd. for the unlicensed use of the Brando name in connection with a line of leather home theater chairs which Palliser calls “The Brando.”
The suit, which was filed by entertainment and licensing attorney Jeffrey I. Abrams, Esq. of Los Angeles-based Wolf, Rifkin, Shapiro & Schulman, LLP, seeks an injunction to stop Palliser, one of the top furniture manufacturers in the world, from further infringing and misappropriating the Brando name and recover damages caused by sales and marketing of the unlicensed products.
Established in part to protect the Marlon Brando name, likeness and personality on behalf of the Brando family, the Marlon Brando Living Trust is overseen by co-trustees Mike Medavoy, Chairman of Phoenix Entertainment, accountant and business manager Larry Dressler and Avra Douglas, a family friend.
In January 2007, Indianapolis-based CMG Worldwide was appointed to represent the licensing and merchandising for the Marlon Brando Living Trust. A recognized leader specializing in the licensing of deceased celebrities on behalf of their families and estates, CMG Worldwide has built a roster of personality licenses that includes such iconic figures as Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Babe Ruth and Vince Lombardi.
Filed on Thursday, March 22, the lawsuit reflects the most recent attempt to settle the matter with Palliser. Previous efforts included repeated cease and desist demands issued over several months which ultimately resulted in the assertion from a Palliser executive claiming in a letter that the ‘Brando Chair’ was named after a tourist destination on Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea.
“We are pleased to have forged agreements on behalf of the Brando estate with such companies as Paramount, Warner Bros., Electronic Arts – just to mention a few – and we look forward to continuing to work alongside manufacturers worldwide in granting this valuable license to them within a traditional licensing framework. Marlon spent a lifetime protecting his brand and made it a priority that his name would continue to be protected on behalf of his family,” said Medavoy.
Abrams added: “The flagrant disregard for the law by Palliser cannot be tolerated. We will show that Palliser, in contrast to their written response, has named furniture lines after other renowned celebrities besides Marlon Brando, such as ‘The Eastwood.’ We have exhausted reasonable efforts to bring this matter to a positive conclusion and feel that the lawsuit is the only course of action we can now take. Their most recent response is best characterized as ‘too little too late.’ It is our mission to protect the Marlon Brando name and we will go after any company or individual who is infringing on these rights meant to benefit the Brando family.”
“The Marlon Brando name is among the most recognized in the world. Only a select few can transcend generations and Marlon Brando is in that rarified group of globally renowned icons,” said Mark Roesler, Chairman/CEO of CMG Worldwide. “The entire licensing industry is fully aware of the importance attached to protecting a brand – not only from the perspective of the brand owner but also for the benefit of all licensees, retailers and consumers.”
With its headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana and also with offices in Hollywood, Calif. and Rio de Janeiro, CMG Worldwide secured its position more than a quarter of a century ago as the premier business and marketing agent for the world’s most renowned personalities. Today, CMG Worldwide maintains its standing as the worldwide leader in intellectual property rights management, protecting and marketing over 300 diverse personalities from all realms of stardom including entertainment, sports, music, and history.
