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23 December 2016Copyright

Disney and Warner Bros crack down on ticket sellers

Disney and Warner Bros, along with other Hollywood studios, have cracked down on ticket sellers in a copyright and trademark infringement claim.

The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday, December 21, at the US District Court for the Central District of California, Western Division.

Disney accused the Hollywood Entertainment Group, which does business as VIP Concierge, and its owner, Craig Banaszewski, of selling tickets to the studios’ private events.

The studios regularly hold “private screenings, openings, and tapings, which are meant to promote and enhance plaintiffs’ relationships with key partners, talent, and members of the press”. Tickets are not sold by the studios at any price.

VIP Concierge is accused of advertising and selling unauthorised tickets to these private events, sometimes charging thousands of dollars, and regularly misusing the studios’ intellectual property to do it.

The suit added that the defendants “occasionally succeed” in gaining access and this heightens the risks of “unauthorised video recording and the physical security of plaintiffs’ invited guests, and causes plaintiffs to suffer harm to their goodwill and reputation”.

VIP Concierge’s website has advertised tickets for sale to Disney’s private motion picture premieres and events, and has misused Disney’s IP in the advertisements, according to the suit.

Some of the films include “Alice Through the Looking Glass”, “Doctor Strange” and “Star Wars Episode VII - The Force Awakens”.

Additionally, the website advertises tickets for sale to Warner Bros’ private, invitation-only events and tapings, including “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “The Big Bang Theory”.

The studios have “demanded on multiple occasions” that VIP Concierge stops unauthorised offering of tickets and infringing use of the protected IP.

Injunctive relief, corrective advertising, and an order making VIP return and refund to all consumers all sums paid for tickets to private events are being sought by the studios.

The studios are also seeking disclosure of all sources of tickets, an account of profits, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees and costs.

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