Louis Vuitton filed a trademark suit against Warner Bros. in New York federal court yesterday for using fake Louis Vuitton luggage in The Hangover Part 2. Reports the Guardian:
[LVMH’s lawsuit] suggests the firm has been damaged after Galifianakis’s line, “careful, that is a Louis Vuitton”, became a catchphrase. According to the complaint, rather than sourcing a real Louis Vuitton, producers apparently utilised a knock-off made by the Diophy group of companies, who Vuitton is also suing to prevent it selling its goods in the US. In short, the company claims trademark dilution, false designation of origin and unfair competition.
To add insult to injury, Warner Bros. won’t share any profits from the film with Vuitton, and “has refused to alter the handbag for the DVD release.” Which is funny because the studio faced a similar lawsuit from tattoo artist S. Victor Whitmill earlier this year (he was mad that his Mike Tyson tattoo design had been copied onto Ed Helms’s face in the movie), and, in that case, they digitally altered the tattoo for the DVD and gave him settlement money. Maybe Warner Bros. isn’t caving because the bags’ inauthenticity is strongly implied (and also the reason why Galifianakis’s line is funny — well, to some people). The movie was set in Bangkok, after all.
