Woody Allen is no stranger to scandal, but in this latest conflict I have to say I side with Allen.
American Apparel Inc used Woody Allen’s image in a billboard ad without his permission, and after Allen reacted a short week later the ad was taken down. Now Woody Allen is seeking $10million in damages for the unlawful use of his image.
One billboard featured a frame from “Annie Hall,” a film that won Allen a best-director Oscar. The image showed Allen dressed as a Hasidic Jew with a long beard and black hat and Yiddish text. The words “American Apparel” also were on the billboard.
Allen’s lawsuit said the billboard falsely implied he sponsored, endorsed or was associated with American Apparel.
Slotnick said it was not a cheap shot to bring up Allen’s sex life in a lawsuit over the billboard and Internet ads.
The funny thing here is that American Apparel Inc is not denying the unlawful use of Allen’s image. They seem to be fully aware of that and are not even trying to dodge this accusation. I suspect their may have been some deliberate fabricated scandal here. One week of an ineffective billboard and now the news is all talking about their company.
Their whole tactic seems to be digging up as much dirt and controversy as possible about Woody Allen to reduce the “value” of the damages. Why would they want this despicable man to represent their product? If they can manage to prove that Allen’s image isn’t WORTH using to promote their product, then perhaps a judge will lower the lawsuit to a number they are more comfortable parting with.
“Woody Allen expects $10 million for use of his image on billboards that were up and down in less than one week,” Slotnick said. “I think Woody Allen overestimates the value of his image.”
I think it is more accurate that Woody Allen is absolutely certain about the value of image rights and the law.
But the simple fact remains… American Apparel Inc seemed to think it had value when they put the sign up or they wouldn’t have made the effort to do it in the first place.
Why did AA go ahead and do it without crossing Ts and dotting Is? Do companies really budget in lawsuits as part of their ad campaigns? I’ve never heard of anything so risky. Actually I have. But they always seem to originate in the US!
I do not think Woody’s name or face will get him 10M, but the fact that AA went outside of the law for the purpose of personal gain will most likely cost them more than expected. I’m certain a lawsuit WAS part of the budget for this ad campaign. Hopefully Woody will be awarded the full 10M to set an ethical example for companies looking to capitalize at the expense of others.
Ok maby it’s because I’m in school right now but the biggest thing that stuck out to me in this post was that you used the wrong “their” when you said “I suspect their may have been some deliberate fabricated scandal here”. The correct form would be there.
Then its a good thing this isn’t Time magazine or the copy editor would be canned!
I also find it ironic that you are checking my spelling then type maybe without the e.
Just sayin.
woody allen gives me the serious eewwws.
i dont know how anyone would want to work with him or for him or be associated with anything he does.
eewww.
Considering AA didn’t even ask for permission before hand this is the consequence they must pay. Woody Allen’s price to endorse any product is $10mil. I wonder if his asking price is not so much what he thinks his image is worth, but the dollar amount in which he will sell out and endorse a product? It may also deter companies from approaching him too.
It’s hard to say on Woody’s side. I agree with him, but the amount is high. Then again, looking at the reaction that AA is having, they deserve it. Besides which, truthfully, AA is pretty sleazy itself, the owner who, in the beginning was the photographer, shot his female models in seductive ways and sometimes topless. If you search for it, you can find, trust me, it’s out there.
So maybe, with that in mind, Woody is their poster child.
He should have been like Clint Eastwood. Sue for a dollar, essentially on principle alone.
At first, I thought the same: $10 Mil for a week? That’s insane! But the more I read, I feel Woody could go for more. It seems AA was only out for the propaganda and news that this fiasco would generate, and by putting Woody in several different, (probably) computer generated looks, they took on his personal image and used it for their benefit. I bet AA thought they’d get a million dollar fine and make more than that with all the publicity. If I were Woody, I’d bump the number to $50 to teach the fuckers a lesson they’d never forget!
wow, thats some serious coinage
This is a hard one to figure out for me. I want to side with Woody because I think that is very wrong what they did, but $10 Million!!! I mean jeese, that is a lot of money for that. I guess when you Woody Allen you can sue someone for that reason and for that much. If it were someone else, like me, I’d be suing for $7K haha.
10 million?… really?…. come on WOODY!