30 years later, 'Back To The Future' car in legal battle

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By DAVID PORTER

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — As "Back To The Future" celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, there's a legal tussle over the futuristic car that provided the guts for the flying time machine used by Michael J. Fox in the classic 1985 film.

Maverick automaker John DeLorean's eponymous creation co-starred in the 1985 movie as it transported Marty McFly back to the 1950s to engineer his parents' meeting — and, in a 1989 sequel, to a 2015 world that featured flying skateboards, automated dog-walkers and self-drying jackets.

Now, DeLorean's widow, Sally, claims in a federal lawsuit that Texas-based DeLorean Motor Company has been illegally using the DeLorean name to sell hats, pens, notebooks, key chains and other items, and has illegally licensed the name and images to other companies including Nike, Mattel, Urban Outfitters and Apple. The company has never been formally affiliated with the one DeLorean started.

The Texas company "has improperly and illegally appropriated for its own use Mr. DeLorean's legacy, including the DeLorean Identity, together with intellectual property," the lawsuit alleges.

FULL story at link.



FILE- In this Oct. 26, 2010 file photo, cast members of the "Back to the Future" movies appear on the NBC "Today" television program, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the films, in New York. They are, from left, posing with a replica of the DeLorean car, Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen, Michael J. Fox, director Robert Zemeckis , and Huey Lewis. With the 30 year anniversary of the film approaching, there is renewed interest in the DeLorean, the car used as the model for the time machine used in the movie. One Texas based company that designs and sells DeLorean-themed products is being sued by John De Lorean{2019}s widow for trademark infringement. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20150109/us--back_to_the_future-delorean-3e0a1d2efb.html

[DetlefK]

1. Are trademarks handled by the US Patent Office?

They should keep track who laid when claim to which trademark.

IIRC, while you can only file a patent if it doesn't infringe on some other patents, you CAN file a trademark that infringes on another trademark. And your bootlegged trademark is valid until the owner of the original trademark sues you and forces you to take it back.

[d_r]

2. There is a show called "American Pickers"

These two guys drive around looking for hoarders so that they can "pick" through their stuff to supply merchandise for their antique store.

I saw an episode where a fellow had a DeLorean car. He said that the fender (or something, I don't remember exactly) was new, and they asked where he got the part. He said that a company in Texas still made De Loreans. I had no idea. Based on this article it looks like they still make some from the parts that they acquired from the company during the bankruptcy proceedings.

I think this is their web site: http://delorean.com/

[freebrew]

3. Strange...

I've been under the impression that the UK gov't scrapped all of the parts and even destroyed the molds for the fenders and such.

Good to hear some of it survived.

Always liked the design and idea of a car built of SS.
A rotten deal for DeLorean from the first.
Shows the power some of the big corps have.