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American Apparel, a clothing store for people practically begging to get punched, used this shot of Woody Allen from Annie Hall in their billboard on Allen street (omg, clever!) in NYC last April. Allen promptly sued them for $10 mil, saying they’d used the image without his permission and he doesn’t endorse products. But now comes the good part. Check out American Apparel’s counter argument:
American Apparel says that it can’t have damaged Allen’s reputation by using his image because the film director has already ruined it himself. The company plans to make Allen’s relationships to actress Mia Farrow and her adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn the focus of a May 18 trial, according to the company’s lawyer, Stuart Slotnick. “Our belief is that after the various sex scandals that Woody Allen has been associated with, corporate America’s desire to have Woody Allen endorse their product is not what he may believe it is.”
Slotnick said it was not a cheap shot to bring up Allen’s sex life. “It’s certainly relevant in assessing the value of an endorsement,” he said, noting that Olympic swimmer “Michael Phelps lost endorsement power after a photograph surfaced of him using marijuana.”
Lawyers for American Apparel have complained that Allen has refused to turn over much of the information they have demanded to prepare for trial. Among their demands were documents concerning any endorsement requests that were withdrawn after the sex scandal with Farrow and Previn became public. [via AP, theplaylist]
Much as I hate everything about American Apparel and their ugly, annoying, boring, overpriced hipster clothes, even I have to admit the “Yeah? Well you’re a child molester” defense is pretty effin gangster.
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Pretty cold that they’re outing him as a Hebrew. Goodbye, presidency of the Bacon Lobby.
You know the ethics those guys have, they’re like a notch below child molesters, er, film directors, er, lawyers.
He had to sue–he needs the eggs.
Woody’s just pissed because this voids his endorsement contract with Yarmulkes ‘R Us.
Slotnick had better watch his back. Woody has been known to carry a gub.
Not kosher, bro.
This is fucking stupid. Woody won’t get 10 mil, but he has the case won regardless of what tactic they use against him. They used his image without permission, you lose American Apparel.
I used the same defense when I got caught using a fake ID in college. The name on the ID was Gary Glitter.
I use the “Your Honor, my dick doesn’t have any hands” defense in my child molester case.
So he’s damaged his reputation to the point where he has to give away free advertising?
That’s it, I’m putting a picture of Lindsay Lohan on the side of my car. I expect the checks to start coming in a matter of weeks.
I hear Pottery Barn is using this same argument to defend their billboards showcasing the former leader of the Khmer Rouge.
Roman Polanski is just pissed off because American Apparel has finally put up a billboard that he couldn’t masturbate to.
To be fair, Sun-Yi was asking for it. Unfortunately for her, “ice cream” sounds like “Fuck me, step daddy” in her native language,
I agree, Biggie – this seems to be a tactic designed to discourage him from taking it to trial.
Dor sho gha! The Mighty Feklhar put that foreign text into His infallible Universal Translator:
“completely that my hat can kill an odd employment, if thrown to him”
Who the fuck is Woody Allen?
[life partner whispers in ear]
That heeb hack hook beak kike baby raping redundant shit for brains over hyped piece of shit(tum)?!
Holy shit I need some new distressed jeans!
[runs out door to mall]
As a person who knows a lawyer, I am proud to say that I am getting drunk right now. Bitches.
The African American Apparel billboard features R. Kelly.
Hath not a Jew tights? Leggings? Overpriced t-shirts?
The Not So African American Apparel billboard features Michael Jackson.
So I guess this means Target will be rolling out those Phil Specter billboards any day now.
Rich dude molests a little immigrant girl and gets into no real trouble? He’s American Apparently. That didn’t work.
So Woody decided to fight company using a picture that stereotypes Jews(Rabbi Garb) buy using a tactic(Money Grubbing) that also stereotypes Jews?
…not to mention WalMart’s new “You Can’t Beat Our Prices!” campaign, featuring Chris Brown.
Next up: R. Kelly billboard for their new junior miss gold lamé bathing suits.
Expect Canadian Apparel to launch a similar campaign featuring some guy who littered.
Sorry Chino, it took me forever to figure out that stupid accent mark.
In all seriousness, I hope Michael Phelps sues over the statement they released.
Hey Woody, take a page out of Adrian Brody’s book. He allows the Fruit Loops people to use his likeness to sell their product and he doesn’t complain.
It’s cool, Rot. Yours was better anyway.
WAHHHH
Roman Polanski is feverishly calling his agent to line up a deal with Baby Gap.
Why won’t Woody let them usury his image?
Gamespot had to change their phone number because Uwe Boll would call constantly wanting to be their spokesperson.
Always wipe the baby gap top to bottom.
This is just a base ploy for Allen to wrench the screws on A.A. for a few more sawbucks. I hope their lawyers drill him and he gets so torqued that he bolts.
New up.
Crap, you’re such a craftsman.
Aggressive lawyering aside, AA is clearly a fan of his image or they wouldn’t have used it. But that they were using it as a celebrity endorsement or a way to sell clothes is retarded. It was a cheeky, goofy statement. Woody Allen of all people should understand that. $10 million is just vindictive and lame.
This is dumb. If a company used an image I owned without permission, and I said “Fuck you, that’s illegal, I’m suing you for $10m”, and they were like “Prove you’re worth it”, I don’t understand why anyone would bother. No, it’s my image, and I’ve determined that it’s worth $10m to me. If you don’t want to pay for it, then you can, you know, take the fucking billboard down and try not stealing the next photograph you use on a billboard.
1. Allen didn’t molest a child. He had consensual sex with an adult. She was not his step child. She was his girlfriend’s adopted daughter. Creepy, yes, but doesn’t make him a child molester.
2. The company used his image without permission. Case closed.
They need better lawyers. No amount of argument regarding his endorsement will nullify the need for his permission.
Allen even makes fun of his own lolicon in Manhattan, so if anything, his scandals are part of his reputation.
Wonk. Allen DID molest his OWN daughter. He cheated on his LONG time partner with her DAUGHTER, (adopted or not) NOT ETHICAL. He’s TRASH, his movies SUCK too.