Go Ahead -- Make My Chair!

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting Clint Eastwood has sued furniture retailer Evofurniture and furniture website inmod for improperly using Mr. Eastwood's name to sell furniture.  In a complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Mr. Eastwood claims that stores have referenced him and his movies in marketing materials, such as:

"When you're invited into a person's home, you get to see the good, the bad and the ugly. When visitors come to your home, the Clint 47'' Entertainment Center makes your family room alone look like you live in a perfect world of a million dollar baby"

and

"Whether your favorite movies are westerns from the 1970s or dramas from the 2000s, you need a comfortably stylish place to hang out and watch them. If you're planning on having friends over for Dirty Harry marathons, then you definitely need something hip and modern. What you need is the Clint 71'' Entertainment Center."

The bolded portions appear that way in the complaint.  The use of Mr. Eastwood's name and reference to his movies, if true, is bold and rather blatant.  The suit is a good reminder that right of publicity can be a powerful cause of action.  Many states have statutes that provide for injunctive relief and that relief can often be obtained without having to show damages, only unauthorized use of a name.  That type relief can quickly shut down a product line or marketing campaign.  Before any marketing campaign and product names are finalized, it is always a good idea to review the use of another's name, especially Mr. Eastwood's name.

The Hollywood Reporter story may be found here.