What’s in a name? Well if it’s ‘Dillinger’ then ”millions of dollars” according to Dillinger LLC. They threatened a suit against EA for use of the name in Godfather I and II.
Publisher EA has countersued in an attempt to get the courts to rule that they can use it, and it would help save them many pennies from a payout. It’s all over some virtual Tommy Guns.
The ‘Dillinger Tommy Gun’ and ‘Modern Dillinger’ to be more precise. Lawyers for the publisher filed papers last week, revealing some strong arming by Dillinger LLC:
”On July 22, 2009 Dillinger LLC, through its litigation counsel, contacted EA to accuse it of violating Dillinger’s right of publicity and infringing upon its trademarks. Dillinger threatened EA with litigation unless it agreed to pay Dillinger millions of dollars for the game elements…”
”Following Dillinger’s recent conduct, EA is faced with the choice of either abandoning its rights to develop, publish and sell the works at issue or risk liability for damages.”
This isn’t the first time Dillinger LLC has gone to the courts over the use of the name, reports GamePolitics, as the Arizona Star picked up on the ruckus:
”The hotel is being sued under an Indiana law that protects a person’s personality for 100 years after his or her death. It works like a trademark, because a person who wants to profit from the use of the personality must obtain written permission.”
Dillinger LLC was upset that hotel owner Richard Oseran was running an annual Dillinger Days event at his establishment, complete with re-enactment of the infamous mans capture as well as history lectures and classic cars on show.
”Arizona has no such law, and it’s not clear whether the Indiana law applies here,” it continued.
It’s one thing to take on a hotel but to try and intimidate a giant publisher like EA? Then again what do you expect from someone claiming to literally own their own grandfather, who just so happened to be a notorious criminal?
EA’s Godfather II
