Autoblog

Batmobile lawsuit may have ramifications for customizing industry

Zach Bowman — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 16:59:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Classics, Government/Legal, Celebrities

While George Barris is preparing to sell his original 1966 Batmobile at the upcoming Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, another custom builder is attempting to stave off a copyright lawsuit. Mark Towle has been building Batmobile replicas through his business, Gotham Garage, for years, and has sold off two versions of the famous '66 TV car and at least one recreation of Bruce Wayne's ride from the 1989 film. His efforts have earned him a two-year legal battle with Warner Brothers subsidiary DC Comics, with the publisher claiming its copyright protection extends to "the overall look and feel" of the Batmobile and that Towle has violated those copyrights.

Towle's attorney, meanwhile, argues that DC Comics is attempting to rewrite copyright law by applying the protections to automobiles, which "do not qualify as sculptural works and are thus not eligible for copyright protection." If a judge decides the design elements found on the Batmobile are useful, the case will likely go Towle's way, as functional elements cannot be protected under US copyright law. But DC Comics contends the Batmobile is intellectual property and that Towle has profited from the company's efforts.

The custom builder says that a victory for DC Comics could "completely upend existing copyright law," and open the door for manufacturers to copyright any number of useful elements found on their products. What's more, anyone building a tribute to famous cars from the television or movie industries could find themselves in legal hot water.

Batmobile lawsuit may have ramifications for customizing industry originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 05 Jan 2013 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Contrary to reports, Dukes of Hazzard merchandise not having Confederate flag removed?

Zach Bowman — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 16:01:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Dodge, Celebrities

Fear not, Dukes of Hazzard fans, no one is going to mess with the General Lee. After a forum post on HobbyTalk.com indicated that Tomy Toys, manufacturer of all official Dukes of Hazzard merchandise, would no longer produce scale models of the show's famous 1969 Dodge Charger with its Confederate battle flag displayed on the roof, Warner Brothers has issued a statement to the contrary. The original story reportedly came courtesy of an anonymous worker with Tomy Toys, who said the Stars and Bars livery would be excised from the models beginning on January 1, 2013.

The news incited substantial fan backlash and even a lengthy editorial by Ben Jones, the actor who played Cooter on the classic TV show. But, in its statement, Warner Brothers cleared up the matter by saying, "We were not, and are not, planning to change the design of the General Lee on merchandise. All reports to the contrary have been inaccurate."

American pop culture remains safe for another day.

Contrary to reports, Dukes of Hazzard merchandise not having Confederate flag removed? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Sep 2012 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lego wants your unique vehicle design for upcoming movie [w/video]

Chris Tutor — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Earnings/Financials, Toys/Games, Design/Style

Time to get creative folks. The folks behind Lego are making a new movie, Lego: The Motion Picture, and they need your help in populating the big screen with custom-created vehicles. Cars, planes, boats, boat-cars, truck-planes. They're all fair game if they can provide transportation to those yellow-headed Lego guys.

But there's a catch. Your vehicle must look like it was built from something else. Turn a castle into air boat (maybe it burned down, fell over and didn't sink into the swamp). Or a pickup truck assembled from the pieces of a 1950s diner. You get the point.

The Warner Brothers 3D CGI film will be directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller who also directed 21 Jump Street and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and produced by Dan Lin of Sherlock Holmes fame and How to Train Your Dragon producer Roy Lee.

Check out the call to action video below, then check out the link on this page to submit a photo of your cobbled-together creation for a chance to win not only $1,000, but also to see your creation on the big screen.

Continue reading Lego wants your unique vehicle design for upcoming movie [w/video]

Lego wants your unique vehicle design for upcoming movie [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler sponsors The Dark Knight Rises, goes Imported From Gotham City

Zach Bowman — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 19:15:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Chrysler, Celebrities

Chrysler and Warner Brothers have partnered up on a new ad for the 300S and The Dark Knight Rises. The spot shows a special concept version of the big sedan being stitched together in Bruce Wayne's underground lab to music borrowed from the film.

Details are scarce on the custom "Dark Knight Rises" edition Chrysler 300S, though the changes look to be mostly aesthetic. A new matte black paint scheme, special wheels and, most importantly, a jet engine thruster are all part of the dressings. At the end of the ad, "Imported from Gotham City" replaces the "Imported from Detroit" tag line.

The Dark Knight Rises is set to be released on July 20, though the Chrysler ad will debut tonight on ABC. Fiat and Chrysler marketing chief Olivier Francois published a post on Chrysler's official blog introducing the commercial, and you can read it here.

For some reason, we doubt Batman would ever find himself behind the wheel of a 300S - the latest trailer for The Dark Knight Rises features Catwoman behind the wheel of Wayne's Lamborghini Aventador. Take a look at both the trailer and the ad for yourself below.

Continue reading Chrysler sponsors The Dark Knight Rises, goes Imported From Gotham City

Chrysler sponsors The Dark Knight Rises, goes Imported From Gotham City originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Movie studio looking to move into Ford's abandoned Wixom plant

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 08:02:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Ford

After over a year of being shuttered, Ford's abandoned plant in Wixom, Michigan could get a new lease on life in the form of a movie studio. Rumor has it that Warner Brothers Pictures is considering taking up residence in the ex-auto plant for a short period, though Ford may want something a bit more long-term. The production company has confirmed that it toured the plant for the first time about four months ago with officials from Ford present. When contacted for comment, a Ford spokesperson said only that the automaker would prefer to do something worthwhile with its old plant, but had no announcements to make.

Measuring in at over four-million square-feet, the old building has plenty of room and Warner Bros. would build a "small city" around the space, hiring between sixty and one-hundred permanent employees plus many part-timers and contract workers -- certainly a boon for the city's lagging economy -- not to mention starting the careers of a whole new generation of paparazzi.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Movie studio looking to move into Ford's abandoned Wixom plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Aug 2008 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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