If you've never seen The
Godfather, then you won't know the
horse head scene. Basically, a character turns down a request from the Godfather,
Don Corleone (Marlon Brando), and, as punishment, finds the head of his racehorse
in his bed.
The scene is disturbing and frightening but maybe not as much as waking and
finding Paramount Picture's copyright complaint on the adjacent pillow.
Paramount to Put the Kibosh
on Godfather Novel
On February 17th, Paramount Picture sued the
estate of Mario Puzo, seeking to protect its copyright in The Godfather trilogy. Paramount
is accusing the estate of publishing an unauthorized novelization of The Godfather.
According to the complaint, Paramount, in 1969, purchased Mario Puzo's
copyright interest in The Godfather
novel. Thereafter, Paramount adapted the novel into the famed movie trilogy.
Paramount alleges that in 2002, it authorized the Puzo
estate to grant "Random House the right to publish one (but only one) 'Sequel
Novel' to The Godfather." In 2004,
pursuant to the parties' agreement, the estate published The Godfather Returns. However, according
to the complaint, the Puzo estate didn't stop there:
In 2006, without Paramount's
knowledge or authorization, the Puzo Estate published a second sequel novel,
entitled The Godfather's Revenge,
which received mediocre reviews and suffered weak sales. Far from properly
honoring the legacy of The Godfather,
the unauthorized The Godfather's Revenge
tarnished it, and in the process, also misled consumers into believing that The Godfather's Revenge was authorized
by Paramount, or otherwise affiliated with or connected to The Godfather and Parmount's Godfather
franchise.
The Puzo Estate has now publicly
announced, and has informed Paramount, that in 2012 it intends to publish
without Paramount's authorization a third sequel novel, entitled The Family Corleone.
Putting a Hit Out on Puzo's
Logo Infringement
Paramount not only asserts its copyright, it also asserts
its trademark in the "world-famous Godfather
logo:"
According to the complaint:
The Puzo Estate, without Paramount's
permission, used the Godfather Marks on the covers of the first and second
sequel novels. The Puzo Estate also used the Godfather Marks in connection with
advertising, marketing, and promotional material related to the first and
second sequel novels. On information and belief, the Puzo Estate intends to use
the Godfather Marks in connection with the advertising, marketing, and
promotion of the third sequel novel.
....
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