Georgia Firm Sued for ‘Oscar’ Knockoffs

ATLANTA (CN) - A Georgia company is renting look-alike Oscar statues as part of its event planning business and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has gone to Federal Court to stop it.

The knockoff statues first appeared on the Bravo Network show, "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," as part of a charity event for the DeShawn Snow Foundation, which aired during the episode, according to the complaint.

The Academy sued Monte Carlo Productions, manufacturer of the copycat statues, for copyright infringement.

The Academy said it asked Monte Carlo to stop using the fake statues, was told the statues had been destroyed in a flood at the warehouse and would not be used again. But, it says, shortly thereafter an Academy investigator was sent a sales proposal from a Monte Carlo sales associate featuring the "Oscar" trademark.

John Brown and Bruce Nixon are also named as defendants. The Academy is represented by John W. Harbin with King & Spalding.

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Email *

Submit