Copyright and Trademark Infringement Not Too Sweet
CNN reports that International Medial Films, Inc. accused New York filmmaker Andrei Treivas Bregman of trademark and copyright infringement for pornographic films he made under his business name, Michael Lucas. The lawsuit seeks to prevent the sales of the movies, "Michael Lucas’ La Dolce Vita" Parts 1 and 2, and to collect unspecified damages.
Bregman, who moved from Moscow to the United States in 1997, called the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Manhattan a joke.
According to Bregman, "Nobody can be confused and think they’re buying Fellini”s movie by buying mine." Bregman also notes that the name Michael Lucas was part of the title, which means "The Sweet Life."
New York-based International Media Films said it believed the pornographic films, released early this year, will "infringe, tarnish, and dilute" its trademark rights to the highly decorated "La Dolce Vita," which won the 1961 Academy Award for costume design and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for best foreign film of that year.
International Media Films said it bought "La Dolce Vita" in 2001. The film introduced the term "paparazzi" as it followed the life of a tabloid journalist who covers the show business life of Rome while yearning to write about more serious subjects.