No Wonder Christian Bale Is On Edge...

[Flying Saucers Over Oz]

From recent issue of FORTEAN TIMES:

'Huseyin Kalkan, mayor the the Turkish city of Batman, is suing Christopher Nolan and Warner Brothers for royalties from THE DARK KNIGHT. He accused the Batman film producers of using the city's name without permission, and claimed the film's impact was to blame for a number of unsolved murders in the city and a high female suicide rate. "There is only one Batman in the world," he said. The comic book character was created in 1939.'

[spidervenom]

That news story is older than my grandpas liver spots.

[spidervenom]

double post.

[PatrickG]

There's a dispute over whether the city was legally recognized under that name prior to 1939 and, even then, a number of the charges made are gratuitous... and even then, you need some expert IP lawyers to sort out whether it even matters.

The most interesting ramification I could see out of this is DC losing some footing in monopolizing trademarks with the name "Batman" in them. I gotta admit it seems wrong that somebody in Batman, Turkey couldn't start the First National Bank of Batman and do business abroad under that name.

This, of course, could create a hair thin line whereby people should be free to reference the city of Batman in new trademarked products and identifiers so long as it isn't intended to create confusion with the DC Comics character and vice versa for Warners and its licensees, I'd imagine.

But the problem is, Warners and its licensees seem to love slapping the Batman name on anything and everything, some of which seems to go beyond an extension of marketing the character and its related symbols.

I think Warners will come out mostly on top. But this is really one for courts to settle. And the town, IMHO, damages its case by including frivolous claims.

[Hybrid2]

There's a dispute over whether the city was legally recognized under that name prior to 1939 and, even then, a number of the charges made are gratuitous... and even then, you need some expert IP lawyers to sort out whether it even matters.

The most interesting ramification I could see out of this is DC losing some footing in monopolizing trademarks with the name "Batman" in them. I gotta admit it seems wrong that somebody in Batman, Turkey couldn't start the First National Bank of Batman and do business abroad under that name.

This, of course, could create a hair thin line whereby people should be free to reference the city of Batman in new trademarked products and identifiers so long as it isn't intended to create confusion with the DC Comics character and vice versa for Warners and its licensees, I'd imagine.

But the problem is, Warners and its licensees seem to love slapping the Batman name on anything and everything, some of which seems to go beyond an extension of marketing the character and its related symbols.

I think Warners will come out mostly on top. But this is really one for courts to settle. And the town, IMHO, damages its case by including frivolous claims.

It's ALL frivolous!
they should be pointed and laught at. nothing more.

[Aspield]

Oh I thought this thread was about Christian Bale edging.
Totally different thread.

[friginator]

For whatever reason I find the bit about the suicide rate to be hilarious. Are they actually claiming that the movie caused people in the city of Batman to kill themselves?

[Michael P]

For whatever reason I find the bit about the suicide rate to be hilarious. Are they actually claiming that the movie caused people in the city of Batman to kill themselves?

Not just people. Women.

I have to admit grudging respect for the mayor as a politician. Any mayor can blame their administration's problems on somebody else, but it takes serious balls to to blame yours on a fictional character.

[Paul McEnery]

For whatever reason I find the bit about the suicide rate to be hilarious. Are they actually claiming that the movie caused people in the city of Batman to kill themselves?

Well, it made me kill myself.

[Alan2099]

If there's not an Elseworld's story where Batman comes from Batman there needs to be.

[FeminineMystique]

I love how this idiot thinks he can win the lawsuit, despite the fact WB could buy him, his sad little city and its populace. Using the change in their back pocket. If anything he's going to wind up having to pay royalties to DC and get the name of his city changed.

[friginator]

Not just people. Women.

And that makes it...worse?

[IvCNuB4]

Oh I thought this thread was about Christian Bale edging.
.

Yum ! That I'd like to see :evilsmile:

[Aspield]

Yum ! That I'd like to see :evilsmile:

EXACTLY.
:wink: