Thou shalt not use my dad’s picture in useless.
Former-Liberty College president Jerry Falwell Jr., who resigned in 2020 amid a intercourse scandal, has filed a trademark infringement go well with towards the Christian school claiming it has been utilizing the picture of the college’s founder, his late father, with out permission.
The go well with, filed in federal courtroom in Virginia, is the most recent salvo in an ongoing-legal battle between the youthful Falwell and the college since he was pushed out following allegations involving his spouse and a Miami pool boy that scandalized the non-public, evangelical establishment.
Earlier this 12 months, Falwell, who had run the Virginia-based college since his father’s demise in 2007 till 2020, filed a go well with towards the college claiming they owed him $8.5 million in retirement advantages. He had beforehand filed defamation and breach of contract fits towards the college. The varsity has equally filed a breach of contract and fiduciary go well with towards Falwell.
The newest go well with alleges that the college has pressed ahead since Falwell’s removing with plans to construct a $35 million Jerry Falwell Heart in homage to his father, who based the college in 1971.
Plans for the constructing embrace an engraving of the elder Falwell’s signature on the entrance, a hologram tour that includes his likeness and quotes from him emblazoned on the partitions.
The youthful Falwell says {that a} belief managed by him and his siblings holds the trademark to his father’s title, mental property and likeness, however that the college has continued to make use of them with out the household’s permission.
Calling it “an ostentatious Disney-esque shrine,” the youthful Falwell accused the college of ignoring the household’s request to enter right into a licensing settlement.
“I requested the college to cease improperly utilizing my father’s mental property and despatched the college management a proposed license settlement that will cowl the Jerry Falwell Heart, assuming there was significant session with the household about the usage of my father’s mental property,” he stated in a press release. “Sadly, they selected to proceed utilizing it with out authorization, and in an undignified method that appears to aim to aggrandize and deify my father in a fawning means that he would by no means have wished or accepted.”
A spokesman for Liberty College stated in a press release that the college is “assured it should in the end prevail on this case and can be capable of preserve its use of the title of its founder.”
“This lawsuit is in response to a particular request by Mr. Falwell, one trustee of the Falwell Household Belief, for the college to pay $7 million {dollars} for his permission to proceed to make use of the title of Liberty’s founder for the subsequent 4 years,” the spokesman stated. “Included in his demand is the expectation that, in impact, former president Falwell would even have whole editorial management of Liberty’s use of the title of Liberty’s founder. The college declined the request; so, this lawsuit was filed by Mr. Falwell.”