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Chuck Norris Sues Publisher, Tears Don't Cure Cancer

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the but-he-does-cry-a-lot dept.

Google85 writes "Chuck Norris sued publisher Penguin on Friday over a book he claims unfairly exploits his famous name, based on a satirical Internet list of "mythical facts" about him. The book capitalizes on "mythical facts" that have been circulating on the Internet since 2005 that poke fun at Norris' tough-guy image and super-human abilities, the suit said."

10 of 374 comments (clear)

  1. Reuters suck by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    The story is available on countless other sites who don't have javascript:goToPage(2); instead of a normal hyperlink.

  2. It's satire at worst by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satire

    Good luck Chuck. To win this case you have to break new legal ground. You could go down in history with SCO for the creativity of your legal claims. You are a public figure. You have honed your tough guy image and profited therefrom. If comics want to satirize your actions and image, you're fair game. Not only that but Chuck Norris jokes have become something like elephant jokes. In that regard they are somewhat generic. In that regard you are in the same unfortunate condition as a company that loses its trademark because it has become generic. Suck it up tough guy.

  3. Re:Idiotic by sammy+baby · · Score: 4, Informative

    "Famous name"? Please. Chuck Norris did a cheesy 90s television show and some bad Kung Fu movies. If it wasn't for Chuck Norris Facts, he would have faded into an obscurity brought about by late-night reruns and informercials for TotalGym.


    Okay, not like I really feel like defending the guy, but be a little fair. When Norris retired from competitive karate tournaments, it was with a record of 65-5, which isn't precisely anything to sneer at. Also, whatever your opinion of kung fu flicks in general, I think you'd have to concede that "Return of the Dragon" is a pretty important piece of the genre, even if Norris only played the heavy in it.

    Pity he's such an ass.
  4. Re:Idiotic by TubeSteak · · Score: 3, Informative

    So then why the hell does he Uhhh... who said that is his website?
    His official website is http://www.chucknorris.com/
    --
    [Fuck Beta]
    o0t!
  5. Re:Why He Might Win The Suit by HoosierPeschke · · Score: 2, Informative

    Well Mr. AC, he is correct. May I point you in the direction of precedent: Fox and the Real Duff Beer and Microsoft and Mike Rowe.

    --
    Mr. Universe: "They can't stop the signal, Mal. They can never stop the signal."
  6. Re:Chuck Norris is dead... by arivanov · · Score: 2, Informative

    That is not socks mate. Just ask anyone who has been anywhere near carrier group about the "Diaper club". Personally, I do not know how true it is as I have managed to skip as far away from the entire military thing as possible. Many people claim to be true (or that it was true at some point).

    --
    Baker's Law: Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it
    http://www.sigsegv.cx/
  7. Trademarks owned by Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    The USPTO lists a number of trademarks owned by Mr Norris including:

    Chuck Norris is... "The Fact"
    Chuck Norris Facts
    Chuck Norris Approved
    Chuck Norris

    He is as is required by trademark law, defending his trademark in order to prevent it becoming generic. He is concerned that his name is being attached to rascist versions of these jokes. It damages his mark to be assosiated with these unauthorised versions. A trademark is a sign of origin for a customer, he does not want customers to be confused at the origin of these unauthorised versions. All he has to do to win is prove that he did not authorise this book.

    1. Re:Trademarks owned by Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      http://www.lfpress.com/cgi-bin/publish.cgi?p=117118&x=articles&s=shopping

      If Chuck can use trademark to control how people use his name and image, then so can every other movie star and public figure.

      The link above is to a story reporting on Lego losing a suit that it brought against another toy maker. Lego claimed trademark on the shape of its building blocks. The Supreme Court of Canada decided that was an abuse of trademark law. Lego could not use trademark law to do what it had previously done with patent law. (The patents had run out which was why Lego was reduced to pulling this stunt.)

      My IANAL guess is that Chuck won't succeed.

  8. Bill Brasky! by nmx · · Score: 2, Informative

    If anyone should sue, it's NBC. Half of the "Chuck Norris" jokes are really "Bill Brasky" jokes - in fact the whole meme is a ripoff of those sketches from the late 90's.

    --
    "Well kids, you tried your best, and you failed. The lesson is, never try."
  9. Re:Let the real Chuck Norris stand up! by JThundley · · Score: 3, Informative

    Another preconceived image of Chuck Norris that people don't see is that of a bible-thumping douchebag. He's afraid that the U.S. government is going to outlaw Christianity, while he believes that the bible *needs* to be tought in public school. He wouldn't create that same secular school program today, it'd be a bible class. listen to what I'm talking about.