If you saw Finding Nemo, check out this lawsuit. This is about as bad as it gets.

[SaltBoy]

All I can say is "Oy vey!" and I'm not even Jewish...

Link from cnnmoney.com

Mr. Ray stings Disney

Kiddy entertainer says eponymous character in 'Finding Nemo' is ruining his rep; $10M will save it.
July 21, 2003: 12:25 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Taking a lesson from director Spike Lee, children's entertainer Mr. Ray said he is suing Walt Disney Co. and Pixar Animation Studios Inc. because a fishy character in the hit movie "Finding Nemo" is destroying his reputation.

Ray Yodlowsky, known as Mr. Ray in parts of New Jersey for songs like "Kalien the Alien" and "Roy G Biv," is seeking $10 million from Disney and Pixar in a suit filed in federal court in New York, he and his lawyer said.

The Pixar movie "Finding Nemo," distributed by Disney and likely to be the second-biggest-grossing animated movie ever, follows a father fish's search for his lost son and includes a kindly school teacher character, a manta ray named "Mr. Ray."

Use of the "Mr. Ray" name would "obliterate and destroy Plaintiff's reputation" and the market for his products, the Mr. Ray from New Jersey said.

In a statement, Yodlowsky compared his plight to that of director Spike Lee, who sued and settled with Viacom Inc. over ownership rights to his professional name when the media conglomerate decided to rename its TNN network Spike TV.

Pixar referred reporters seeking comment to Disney, which was not immediately available.

 

[guyver01]

oh geeze.. someone kill these morons.


hmm.. yanno... mebbe i can get in on this

My name is jeff... that Toys R Us giraffe is named Geoffrey...

It's my name.... it's demeaning to Jeff's to be associated with a Giraffe.

Am i here for your amusement? Do i provide you with toys? no!

where's my lawyer!

 

[loup garou]

Use of the "Mr. Ray" name would "obliterate and destroy Plaintiff's reputation" and the market for his products, the Mr. Ray from New Jersey said.

Looks like he's doing a good enough job of that himself already.

 

[ohtwell]

People will sue for any reason. How in the world is him sharing the name of a "kindly school teacher character" in a kids movie going to ruin his reputation? What a dumbass!


: ) Amanda

 

[OulOat]

The sad thing is, if we kill him, we would go to jail.

 

[LeeTJ]

my name is "John".

wonder if i can sue porta potty?

 

[AreaCode707]

Some random manta ray should sue him for defamation of character, and unauthorized use of the name. The mantas did have it first, you know.

 

[bbkat]

I saw the movie twice and I didn't even remember the name "Mr. Ray" till it was mentioned here.



crap! I admitted I saw it twice

 

[liv303]

Hmmm....if he does win, couldn't this cause a legal nightmare? Would this allow anyone who shares the same name as a character to sue the creator of the character if they thought the character's actions/attitude relfected poorly on their reputation? Any civil lawyers out there who would like to predict the outcome to this?

 

[SaltBoy]

Originally posted by: bbkat
I saw the movie twice and I didn't even remember the name "Mr. Ray" till it was mentioned here.



crap! I admitted I saw it twice

Hey, I've seen it twice as well, and I'm proud to admit it. Best movie of the year so far, IMHO, no matter what Electric Amish says.

 

[Hubris]

There's no limit on stupidity or money-grubbing fvcktards. He's hoping Disney will settle with him and give him some loot.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: LeeTJ
my name is "John".

wonder if i can sue porta potty?

You could sue every police force and TV show or movie producer that's used the word "John" to denote a customer of a prostitute

 

[ChurchOfSubgenius]

My name is (legally) Robert......but I go by Rob, all my life people have been slandering my name while playing pool or ....horse shoes or or or.........Parcheezee...

"Duuude, you got Robbed"
"Duuude, totally Robbed"

I am sick of it and am filing suit against the richest corporation I can find.........maybe a bunch of us Robs can unite for a class action suit!

Robs Against Defamation

 

[philmacrevis]

Originally posted by: liv303
Hmmm....if he does win, couldn't this cause a legal nightmare? Would this allow anyone who shares the same name as a character to sue the creator of the character if they thought the character's actions/attitude relfected poorly on their reputation? Any civil lawyers out there who would like to predict the outcome to this?

This will get thrown out. The disclaimer, about characters names and real persons are coincidental, at the end of the movie should cover the studio.

 

[SpiderX]

Lame, what a bunch of bull.

 

[WannaFly]

Isnt that what the disclaimer that says "Any characters real or fictional are not representative of any real world part" is for?

Or whatever it says, i'm pretty sure thats on just about any movie..no?

 

[FeathersMcGraw]

I assume the lawsuit is less about damages or settlement money than it is about publicity.

 

[Chadder007]

Hopefully the Judge is respectable and strikes down this BS.

 

[vi edit]

Reason number eleventy billion why we need tort laws that make the creator of the lawsuit pay for all court costs if they loose.

 

[911paramedic]

Disney should sue that Ray dude for ruining Mr. Ray's image, now that would be funny.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Let's just hope Mr. Ray doesn't hire Johnnie Cochran and use the Chewbacca offense

 

[Banana]

Hey--If badass Captain Nemo can live with being associated with a clown fish, Mr. Ray should just suck it up.

 

[brtspears2]

BS. Though the name Spike has much more meaning than a generic Mr. Ray anyways. Theres gotta be a million Ray's in the country.

 

[Spooner]

I agree with him. How dare Disney

 

[IntellectualSlacker]

Be careful, everybody. Stupidity can be contagious.