Woody Allen Slaps $10 Million Dollar Lawsuit against American Apparel

What do you get when you launch an advertising campaign featuring a celebrity without getting the proper authorization from the celebrity in question? Lots of publicity and a huge lawsuit, apparently. That is what American Apparel Inc., the clothing company, found out Monday.

Veteran Hollywood filmmaker and actor Woody Allen has sued American Apparel for a mammoth $10 million for unauthorized advertising on billboards and online platforms featuring the star dressed as a rabbi.

According to the lawsuit that Allen has filed in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan the apparel company and retailer based out of Los Angeles launched an advertising campaign that involved billboards carrying his image in New York and Hollywood, California, in May 2007, without his permission.

The advertisements featured Allen dressed as a rabbi and also contained Yiddish text that translated to ‘the Holy Rebbe.’ The image was from one of Allen’s films, apparently. Allen is Jewish himself.

The advertisements appeared not just on billboards in the two locations mentioned in the lawsuit, but also on the website of American Apparel Inc., as well as in sponsored ads appearing in other websites, the lawsuit noted.

The lawsuit said, “Allen was unaware that AAI was going to utilize his image on its billboard and Web site. Allen was not contacted, nor did he in any way give his consent to the use of his image and likeness, and he was not in any way compensated for the same, either prior to the infringement or thereafter.”

The lawsuit added that the launching of the advertisement campaign featuring Allen was particularly distasteful considering that he does not endorse products outside the United States of America.

It further stated that American Apparel used Allen’s ‘image and identity in total disregard of his rights to privacy and publicity, his exclusive property rights and his personal rights.’

The 72-year old Allen has written, directed, and also acted in a total of over 40 movies. The main contention of Allen’s lawsuit, filed through his attorneys Loeb & Loeb LLP, is that American Apparel used the image from Allen’s film without even informing him about it. The lawsuit claims American Apparel’s action was ‘willful, reckless, and in conscious disregard of Allen’s rights.’

The lawsuit claims the apparel company was aware of the need to take Allen’s permission before using the image, and did not do so because they knew he would not give his consent.

There has been no response from American Apparel, the manufacturer and retailer of cotton apparel with over 180 stores across the United States and Canada, regarding the lawsuit.