The luxury French fashion house has filed a lawsuit in New York federal court, complaining about a counterfeit bag brought by Zach Galifianakis' character in an airport scene in the comedy film.
- Dec 23, 2011
AceShowbiz - "The Hangover Part II" might be the most-litigated movie in 2011. Not so long after Warner Bros. Pictures claimed it had cleared off three lawsuits involving the film, it is now said that the studio is being sued by high-class fashion brand Louis Vuitton over the use of a fake bag in the Bradley Cooper-starring action comedy.
The French fashion house has filed a lawsuit in New York federal court on Thursday, December 22, complaining about a counterfeit LV bag used in "The Hangover II". The particular bag appears in an airport scene where Zach Galifianakis's Alan carries a lugage marked with LVM and tells another character, "Careful, that is.. that is a Louis Vuitton."
LV accused Warners of ignoring its instructions not to use a fake bag in the movie. According to the complaint, the bag appeared in the scene was in fact made by the Chinese American company Diophy, which LV is suing in attempt to ban its knock-off products from being purchased in the U.S.
The luxury brand additionally claimed that Warners has refused to alter the bag scene before the film was released on DVD format. The company is now seeking to stop all copies of the movie and other materials that feature the bag scene and asking profits from the film with triple damages.
Before this legal trouble with Louis Vuitton, "The Hangover II" had already faced several legal cases. Earlier this year, Warners was sued by a tattoo artist who claimed that the comedy film has copied the tattoo design on Ed Helms' face from the one he created for boxer Mike Tyson.
In September, the studio was also sued by stuntman Scott McLean who claimed that he sustained a brain injury after suffering an accident while shooting a stunt scene for the film in Thailand. Meanwhile, in October, the studio was accused by writer Michael Alan Rubin of stealing the idea from a script he wrote about his Asian adventures.
"The Hangover II" was directed by Todd Phillips and released on May 26. The comedy film stars Helms, Cooper and Galifianakis, along with Nick Cassavetes and Paul Giamatti. The comedy has grossed over $250 million in domestic box office. Its third installment, meanwhile, is currently in development at Warner Bros.
