Marlon Brando’s estate sues Palliser Furniture
The Marlon Brando Estate and Living Trust has filed a lawsuit against Palliser Furniture Ltd. for the unlicensed use of the late film star’s name in connection with a line of leather home theatre chairs which Palliser calls ‘The Brando’.
The suit seeks an injunction to stop Palliser from further infringing and “misappropriating” the Brando name and the recovery of damages caused by sales and marketing of the unlicensed products.
Filed on March 22, the lawsuit reflects the most recent attempt to settle the matter with Palliser. Previous efforts included repeated cease and desist demands issued over several months which ultimately resulted in the assertion from a Palliser executive claiming in a letter that the ‘Brando Chair’ was named after a tourist destination on Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea.
Established in part to protect the Marlon Brando name, likeness and personality on behalf of the Brando family, the Marlon Brando Living Trust is overseen by co-trustees Mike Medavoy, chairman of Phoenix Entertainment, accountant and business manager Larry Dressler and Avra Douglas, a family friend.
