Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: "Kino Oscar" in Austria prosecued by Hollywood

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Posted by Dieter Depypere (Member # 3184) on 03-21-2006, 01:30 PM:

I just saw on TV that Hollywood put a charge to a small single screen cinema in Vorarlberg, Austria for the name "Oscar" - like the award. On the other hand, the cinema's name exists for 23 years already.

It was opened by Oscar Thurnher in 1983 and he named it after his name - it should not be a link to the Oscar award. The operator of the theater quickly changed (or better had to change) the theatre name to "Kino Namenlos" ("Cinema Nameless"). Furthermore , he should pay lots o' money as a punisment.

What do you guys think?

[ 03-22-2006, 12:54 AM: Message edited by: Dieter Depypere ]

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 03-21-2006, 01:55 PM:

My home town had a restaurant called "Oscars", named after the owner. They received legal notice to change their name, after drawing attention to themselves with an annual Academy Award celebration night at the restaurant. They changed their name to "Ozzies".

Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 03-21-2006, 02:20 PM:

Had he not linked himself to the awards, he probably could have fought that oretty easily...

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 03-21-2006, 02:25 PM:

Yah..
We've had the same problem here, with the term "Olympics". There's a certain mountain range here, that's been called that since God made dirt. However, the USOC has successfully convinced a few (though not all) businesses not to use the word in their name.

Posted by Dieter Depypere (Member # 3184) on 03-22-2006, 01:12 AM:

Maybe they are going to prosecue everyone named Oscar!?

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-22-2006, 01:34 AM:

quote: John Pytlak
My home town had a restaurant called "Oscars".....

Presumably one possessive apostrophe would have kept the lawyers at bay.

Years ago I remember hearing a story about a small hotel in Australia which registered the domain name www.paramount.com. Needless to say, nasty letters from California started to arrive on the doormat; in response to which its owner replied that the Paramount Hotel predated the film studio by over two decades, which therefore gave him a legitimate reason to continue to assert ownership of that web address. I don't know how it was eventually resolved - I guess the studio probably paid him off.

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 03-22-2006, 02:58 AM:

quote: Jack Ondracek
We've had the same problem here, with the term "Olympics". There's a certain mountain range here, that's been called that since God made dirt. However, the USOC has successfully convinced a few (though not all) businesses not to use the word in their name.

Did the OC also sue the governement of Greece for the use of the name Mount Olympos (after which the OG are named) for, well, Mount Olympos and make them change the name, maybe to "Mount Ollie"?
Man, 2.5 billion years of evolution and then that...!

Posted by Paer Hoegberg (Member # 3133) on 03-22-2006, 09:18 AM:

What about Oscars Teatern in Sweden, http://www.oscarsteatern.se/ - opened for exactly 100 years ago...

Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 03-22-2006, 01:19 PM:

This sounds like that Monster Cable company, suing any company/entity etc, that has Monster in the title.

Posted by Dieter Depypere (Member # 3184) on 03-23-2006, 12:57 AM:

Hi there,

if you look here, the 'mystery' seems solved.

Didn't see it a first - some of my friends noticed, though.

Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 03-23-2006, 04:49 AM:

There is a restaurant in Cheshire called ‘Oscars’ that was recently featured on TV. Its name was originated from the famous playwright Oscar Wilde, whose picture is also displayed. Therefore I don’t see how the Hollywood Academy could object.

When the UK Brent Walker Organization during the 1970s took over a group of cinemas, to be renamed ‘Oscar’ it was changed to ‘Focus’ following an objection from the Hollywood Academy.

When an Indian exhibitor took over a couple of Odeon cinemas, they were renamed GODEON, having to only add one letter on the front for cheapness.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-23-2006, 04:54 AM:

If the editor of Private Eye ever went into the cinema business, presumably he'd open a Gnomeon.