Woody Allen Sues American Apparel for Misappropriation

[WSJ_law_blog]

It often seems that Dov Charney, the owner of American Apparel, is known as much for his office space escapades as for his super-successful clothing lines. In the rash of sexual harassment suits that have been brought against Charney, the litigants are often underlings complaining about Charney’s allegedly flamboyant behavior in the workplace. But, in the most recent suit faced by Charney and American Apparel, Charney might finally be facing off against a personality as strong, or at least as quirky, as his own.

Yesterday, movie icon Woody Allen sued American Apparel in Manhattan federal court for at least $10 million for using his image on billboards and on the Internet. The suit, according to this AP report, complains of an American Apparel billboard featuring a frame from “Annie Hall,” a film that won Allen a best director Oscar, showing Allen dressed as a Hasidic Jew with a long beard, black hat and Yiddish text. (The billboard, pictured, is on the corner of Alvarado and Sunset in L.A. While Charney is Jewish, it’s not clear what connection consumers are meant to draw between American Apparel clothing and Allen dressed as a Hasidic jew.)

According to the report, the suit alleges that the billboard falsely implied that Allen sponsored, endorsed or was associated with American Apparel, and accuses the company of “blatant misappropriation and commercial use of Allen’s image” and notes that the company on its Web site promotes itself as one known for “provocative photography.”

L.A.-based American Apparel didn’t immediately reply to the AP’s request for comment.