Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC, LLCScarinci Hollenbeck, LLC, LLC

Firm Insights

Academy Awards Settles Copyright Infringement Lawsuit with Rental Company

Author: Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC

Date: March 1, 2013

Key Contacts

Back

Event rental companies hosting Oscar-themed parties might think twice about furnishing the party with the iconic gold Oscar statuettes.

Event rental companies hosting Oscar-themed parties might think twice about furnishing the party with the iconic gold Oscar statuettes.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – which has gained a reputation for defending copyrights and trademarks – settled a lawsuit against events rental company TheEventLine.com and its president Robert Hollingsworth after they agreed to stop selling and renting eight-foot Oscar statues to customers, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Academy sued the company in March 2011 after it violated copyright and entertainment law provisions by marketing and selling replica statues. Further, the Academy noted that it sent a letter notifying TheEventLine.com of the copyright infringement, but that the correspondence went unanswered.

TheEventLine.com filed a counterclaim in June and argued that they did not market statues that were “strikingly, substantially, or confusingly similar to the Academy’s ‘Oscar’ statuettes,” the Times reports. It also noted that it never received any letters from the Academy and released a new line of statues that were similar, yet slightly more muscular than the traditional Oscar statues, the newspaper added.

After a long court battle, however, the event rental company agreed to stop selling and renting the replica statues and pay the Academy’s attorney’s fees.

No Aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court. Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC, LLC

Related Posts

See all
Crisis-Proofing Your New Jersey Business: Building a Crisis Response Plan Before You Need One post image

Crisis-Proofing Your New Jersey Business: Building a Crisis Response Plan Before You Need One

For New Jersey businesses, crisis preparedness should be viewed as a legal and operational function, not simply an emergency-management exercise. A well-designed crisis response plan can help preserve evidence, protect confidential communications, meet reporting obligations, limit unnecessary exposure, and prevent an already difficult situation from becoming a larger legal problem. Key Takeaways A serious crisis […]

Author: Sean M. Pena

Link to post with title - "Crisis-Proofing Your New Jersey Business: Building a Crisis Response Plan Before You Need One"
Monmouth County's Next Development Wave: What Developers and Investors Need to Know post image

Monmouth County's Next Development Wave: What Developers and Investors Need to Know

Monmouth County is entering a significant new phase of development. For those looking to acquire property or undertake a new project, understanding the market opportunity is only the beginning. The more important question is whether a particular property can actually be developed as contemplated and what approvals, agreements, and other conditions will be required to […]

Author: Donald M. Pepe

Link to post with title - "Monmouth County's Next Development Wave: What Developers and Investors Need to Know"
Are Your Conversations with AI Shielded from Discovery? Courts Are Split post image

Are Your Conversations with AI Shielded from Discovery? Courts Are Split

Whether a client’s prompts to a generative AI tool and the documents it produces are protected from disclosure depends on the case type, who claims protection, and whether counsel was involved. In United States v. Heppner, a New York federal judge ruled that a criminal defendant’s communications with an AI platform were protected by neither […]

Author: Chris Seelinger

Link to post with title - "Are Your Conversations with AI Shielded from Discovery? Courts Are Split"
Guardianships in New Jersey: When a Loved One Can No Longer Manage Personal or Financial Affairs post image

Guardianships in New Jersey: When a Loved One Can No Longer Manage Personal or Financial Affairs

When a family member can no longer make important decisions for themself, the question is often not whether the family will step in, but whether they have the legal authority to do so. A spouse may manage household finances, or an adult child may arrange medical care and pay bills. Still, informal assistance does not […]

Author: Marc J. Comer

Link to post with title - "Guardianships in New Jersey: When a Loved One Can No Longer Manage Personal or Financial Affairs"
New Jersey’s Revised UHAC Regulations: What Residential Developers Need to Know About Affordable Housing Commitments post image

New Jersey’s Revised UHAC Regulations: What Residential Developers Need to Know About Affordable Housing Commitments

New Jersey residential developers with affordable housing obligations should carefully review their existing approvals, development agreements, and proposed deed restrictions in light of the State’s revised UHAC regulations (Uniform Housing Affordability Controls). The regulations, which took effect on November 6, 2025, significantly change the administration and physical requirements for affordable housing units. For developers with […]

Author: Wendy Rubinstein Quiroga

Link to post with title - "New Jersey’s Revised UHAC Regulations: What Residential Developers Need to Know About Affordable Housing Commitments"
“No Comment” Culture: Why Silence Is Often the Riskiest Legal Strategy post image

“No Comment” Culture: Why Silence Is Often the Riskiest Legal Strategy

A “no comment” response is sometimes the right call when a legal problem arises. As a blanket policy, however, it lets allegations go unanswered, deadlines pass, evidence disappear, and manageable disputes grow into expensive litigation. The businesses that fare best are usually the ones that say little publicly while acting decisively behind the scenes. When […]

Author: Sean M. Pena

Link to post with title - "“No Comment” Culture: Why Silence Is Often the Riskiest Legal Strategy"

No Aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court. Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

Sign up to get the latest from our attorneys!

Explore What Matters Most to You.

Consider subscribing to our Firm Insights mailing list by clicking the button below so you can keep up to date with the firm`s latest articles covering various legal topics.

Stay informed and inspired with the latest updates, insights, and events from Scarinci Hollenbeck. Our resource library provides valuable content across a range of categories to keep you connected and ahead of the curve.

Let`s get in touch!

* The use of the Internet or this form for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent through this form. By providing a telephone number and submitting this form you are consenting to be contacted by SMS text message. Message & data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary. You can reply STOP to opt-out of further messaging.
“If you would like to submit a file, please email it directly to info@sh-law.com.

Sign up to get the latest from the Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC attorneys!