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Oh you have got to be kidding....

post #1 of 19
6/13/03 at 12:44am
Thread Starter 
<a href="http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=529&ncid=529&e=4&u=/ap/20030612/ap_en_tv/tv_spike_tv" target="_blank">http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=529&ncid=529&e=4&u=/ap/20030612/ap_en_tv/tv_spike_tv</a>
Quote:
NEW YORK - Spike Lee (news) has temporarily spiked Spike TV.

A Manhattan judge on Thursday granted Lee's petition and ordered Viacom Inc. to stop using Spike TV as the new name for its TNN network, pending a trial on the issue....

Lee, whose numerous directing credits include "Malcolm X" and "Do the Right Thing," said he sued Viacom to protect his name from a deliberate attempt to capitalize on his image and prestige.

Viacom's lawyers said Lee cannot prove their network's new name refers to him. And they said no New York law gives a celebrity's first name the protection Lee is seeking without some other suggestion of the person's persona.

But the judge disagreed.

"Contrary to defendants' position, the court is of the opinion that in the age of mass communication, a celebrity can in fact establish a vested right in the use of only their first name or a surname," the judge wrote. "There are many celebrities that are so recognized, including Cher, Madonna, Sting and Liza."
I'd buy this if all those films had said "A Spike Joint" all these years, but to say that calling anything Spike is attempting to infringe on Spike Lee's image is totally ridiculous. What's next -- suing Spike Jonze for attempting to trick people into thinking his movies are Spike Lee movies? Do we pull Elvis Costello's Spike album off the shelves?

I don't know who pisses me off more, Spike Lee for bringing this suit or the judge for agreeing with him.
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post #2 of 19
6/13/03 at 12:50am
Or that CHUD ran a story on this weeks ago and there's a thread for it in the Sewer.
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post #3 of 19
6/13/03 at 12:52am
Thread Starter 
Hmm, didn't think I'd find a story about a lawsuit involving a celebrity and a TV network in a forum that's supposed to be about film....
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post #4 of 19
6/13/03 at 12:53am
Hmmm, didn't think you'd see CHUD running a story about a huge filmmaker. Or that you'd read the main page.
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post #5 of 19
6/13/03 at 1:03am
Thread Starter 
That thread is halfway down the second page of topic listings for the Sewer and hasn't been added to since the day the story was posted. I searched the first page of The Sewer, Gossip, Culture, CHUD Facts, and Television and didn't find anything so figured I'd start a topic, and this is a new wrinkle in the story anyway.

Besides, if you can start a new thread for damn near any topic that pops into your head, I can start this one.

And I do read the main page. Sorry I don't memorize every single one of your stories in case I may want to reference them a week later.
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post #6 of 19
6/13/03 at 1:30am
I'm gonna halfta go and agree with Spike here because most definitely they are infringing upon a celebrity status (most people I've talked with have agreed that it does sound like he's involved) and we have laws that protect artist rights.

I know that by saying calling "anything" Spike does this, but in this case Spike Lee is more profilic to the masses than Mr. Jonze at this point in time.
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post #7 of 19
6/13/03 at 1:34am
Thread Starter 
But if you look at the type of programming and the target audience TNN is going after, Spike Lee is the last person they'd be trying to associate themselves with by calling their network Spike TV. What possible benefit would they gain from an association with Spike Lee? It just makes no sense.
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post #8 of 19
6/13/03 at 1:40am
I'm in complete agreement with you in the fact that they don't have anything to gain from associating themselves with the Spike name.

However, they are still infringing upon celebrity status and people will most likely get confused (as to whom, I don't know yet).

Anyways, Spike TV is such a stupid name for a television network. I'm sure the ad wizards there could have come up with something a hell of a lot better and they wouldn't be in this predicament they are in now.
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post #9 of 19
6/13/03 at 1:46am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Yando:
I'm in complete agreement with you in the fact that they don't have anything to gain from associating themselves with the Spike name.

However, they are still infringing upon celebrity status and people will most likely get confused (as to whom, I don't know yet).
I think if Spike TV proves the first part, the second part of that falls apart.
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post #10 of 19
6/13/03 at 1:54am
A person can't believe both parts?

I believe that they have nothing to gain, or at least I hope so. However, by still associating themselves with the Spike name and not budging on the issue at hand, they are entitled to any and all legal action against them brought forth by Mr. Lee.
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post #11 of 19
6/13/03 at 1:56am
Thread Starter 
If they have nothing to gain, where is the intent? I would think you'd have to prove they were deliberately trying to cash in on Spike Lee's name and notoriety in order to rule in favor of Lee. Simply having the same name as his first name doesn't seem damaging enough to me to warrant all this, especially considering that Lee is known by BOTH names, not just his first.
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post #12 of 19
6/13/03 at 3:31am
I think Spike Lee is just wanted attention. Sure, he was hot ten years ago, but has he really been in the news other than showing up a Lakers game next to Nicholson? I think not...

And Poxy, by golly if you want to post a new thread about something, you should be able to do it. If Devin has two seperate threads about offensive jokes, it only makes sense you should get the same right.

Not to offend Devin, cuz I like the guy and all...
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post #13 of 19
6/13/03 at 6:03am
Quote:
Momotaro and the Argonauts:
I think Spike Lee is just wanted attention. Sure, he was hot ten years ago, but has he really been in the news other than showing up a Lakers game next to Nicholson? I think not...
I think if anything, he deserves it right now. 25th Hour was an amazing movie, yet it got passed over by most at the favour of some horrible crap.
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post #14 of 19
6/13/03 at 8:32am
In other news, my plans to launch DansonVision (a TV channel dedicated to slow-motion Baywatch-style montages of me and my son) have been scuppered by celebrity slaphead Ted and his uppity lawyers.
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post #15 of 19
6/13/03 at 10:12am
Turns out that my university owns the name Spike. Go figure.
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post #16 of 19
6/13/03 at 10:46am
I love Spike Lee, but this is just IDIOTIC.
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post #17 of 19
6/13/03 at 12:20pm
Quote:
Yando:
However, they are still infringing upon celebrity status and people will most likely get confused (as to whom, I don't know yet).
Maybe stupid people, and even then only for a minute or two. Other than that I don't think so. I'm sorry, if someone said to me that there was a new channel called Spike TV my first thought would not be 24hrs a day of Spike Lee on network television.
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post #18 of 19
6/13/03 at 12:55pm
I think it's come about because Spike Lee has asked people he knows whether or not they'd think he was involved in something called Spike TV. And, since they know him, and it's him asking the question, they've said yes.

I doubt the rest of the world would give the same response. Personally, I'd think it was a channel for TV vampires with dubious English accents.
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post #19 of 19
6/13/03 at 1:05pm
Quote:
Dan Whitehead:
Personally, I'd think it was a channel for TV vampires with dubious English accents.
I'd watch that.

On a sidenote, do you not like James Marster's English accent? I only ask because I have a British friend who thinks it's dead-on.
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