Universal says the porn movie Fifty Shades Of Grey: A XXX Adaptation is a “blatant trademark infringement” on its rights to E.L. James’ bestselling Fifty Shades Of Grey books and it wants Smash Pictures’ hardcore film neutered. “The first XXX adaptation is not a parody, and it does not comment on, criticize, or ridicule the originals. It is a rip-off, plain and simple,” says Universal City Studios and Fifty Shades Ltd, the owner of the book rights, in a lawsuit (read it here) filed earlier this week. Unlike the usual porn parody of Hollywood movies, the plaintiffs claim in their detailed suit that Smash’s XXX film, which does call itself an “adaptation” in its title, uses “exact dialogue, characters, events, story and style from the Fifty Shades trilogy.” Universal and Focus Features picked up rights to the softcore novels in a heated bidding war back in March for over $3 million. Kelly Marcel was chosen last month to write the screenplay.
Related: Mike De Luca, Dana Brunetti To Produce ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’
The plaintiffs want all copies of the XXX movie — physical and digital — destroyed along with the Luv Moves “novelty items” packaged with the DVD and any marketing materials. Universal and Fifty Shades Ltd also want any production on the planned porn adaptation of James’ other two book stopped, and they’re also looking for damages and all legal fees from defendants Smash Pictures and its executives. “The marketing efforts surrounding the Infringing Works attempt to trade on the popularity and goodwill associated with the Fifty Shades Trilogy and attempt to divert potential customers away from the Fifty Shades Trilogy through the use of the Fifty Shades Trademarks in the titles of the Infringing Works and in associated promotional materials,” the suit says of the porn film that was released earlier this fall. Universal City Studios and Fifty Shades Ltd are represented by Andrew Thomas at Los Angeles firm Jenner & Block.
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Hey, whatever keeps the thing’s fifteen minutes trucking, Universal! The flash has juuuuuust about faded from the pan.
I would think that this would bring MORE attention to Universal’s own adaptation.
So…this is Universal explicitly admitting that 50 Shades is literally porn?
Basically.
Hilarious considering 50 Shades of Grey is nothing more than Twilight porn. Still stunned that Stephanie Meyers didn’t sue E.L. James’s ass into oblivion.
So a “Twilight” ripoff is crying because people are doing the same thing to it.
How deliciously ironic.
Nice to finally see a rights holder finally taking action against these porn companies for infringement. They have been operating unchecked for the past few years churning out rip-offs by hiding under the use of the term “parody” in the titles. I am shocked that the comic book companies, and their big corporate owners, never had the will to address this themselves.