I just heard on the radio an advertisement for a new bar and grill called the Drunken Clam. Obviously a rip off of the bar from Family Guy. Is that copyright infringement?
Depends. Is it a cartoon bar?
And can PG Wodehouse sue for the blatant rip-off of "The Mottled Oyster"?
Quote from: jimmy olsen on July 02, 2009, 11:23:34 AM
I just heard on the radio an advertisement for a new bar and grill called the Drunken Clam. Obviously a rip off of the bar from Family Guy. Is that copyright infringement?
You've gotta be kidding me.
Quote from: jimmy olsen on July 02, 2009, 11:23:34 AM
I just heard on the radio an advertisement for a new bar and grill called the Drunken Clam. Obviously a rip off of the bar from Family Guy. Is that copyright infringement?
It wouldn't be copyright infringement. A two-word phrase is not creative enough to qualify.
There might be claims the Family Guy owners could bring, but those would be much more tenuous IMO and based on the premise that patrons of the Drunken Clam would believe the Family Guy producers were involved or endorsing the bar in some way.
Yes, they can. In fact, I'm sure the B2s are taking off from RAF Lakenheath right now to deliver hundreds of thousands of pounds of ordnance to fix this wrong.
There's one guy who does nothing but t-shirts based on fictional places or things, btw:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/magazine/18wwln-consumed-t.html
http://www.lastexittonowhere.com/
A "Camp Crystal Lake" t-shirt might be nice.
I don't see why they would care even if they could have a case. Its free advertising.