Girls Gone Wild' Creator Madonna ... You Sing that Song And I'll Sue!!!
Joe Francis -- the mastermind behind "Girls Gone Wild" -- is sending Madonna a cease and desist letter, threatening that he'll take legal action if she sings the song from her new album -- titled "Girls Gone Wild" -- at the Super Bowl.
TMZ has obtained the letter that Francis has sent to Madonna and her "co-conspirators." Francis' lawyer threatens to sue all of them for attempting to get a "free ride on the valuable consumer goodwill and brand recognition" of Joe's famous trademark.
Francis' lawyer makes it clear: "Your misappropriation of my clients' trademark will not be tolerated."
But Francis is willing to cut a deal with Madonna, provided she agrees to the following terms:
-- Negotiate an immediate licensing agreement for the use of Joe's trademark
-- Account for the number of time Madonna has already used the trademark
-- NOT PERFORM THE SONG AT THE SUPER BOWL
Joe thinks NBC and the NFL are conspiring with Madonna, so the letter went to them as well.
Joe's lawyer is demanding a response by 5 PM PT today ... or else.
"The song will not be performed at Super Bowl halftime show," Madonna's publicist told TheWrap. "It was never a possibility. She has confirmed she will be performing her new single and three of her gems from the past." http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...66053320120204
There are two other parts
-- Negotiate an immediate licensing agreement for the use of Joe's trademark
-- Account for the number of time Madonna has already used the trademark
He's taking this way to seriously. He should be paying her because no one pays that much attention to his GGW brand.
Quote:
The millions of films sold every year generate approximately $40 million in annual sales, and Francis is thought to earn around $5 million a year from the series.
Joe Francis is a creep. I immediately thought of this when I read that song title, yet strangely enough I'm rooting for Madonna. The lesser of two evils I suppose.
So no one can sing/say the words "Girls Gone Wild?"
If he has copyright registered for the trademark, then yes. But this can be easily over-passed by changing the title, to lets say, "Gurls Gone Wild" or something in the vein of that.