Al Franken v. Fox News

Obv. this sort of thing has been done and done in the US court system, Franken has a long reputation as a satirist and anybody who saw that lame movie about Larry Flynt knows that satire gives you a lot of leeway.

Hahaha, this is what Fox deserves for cancelling Andy Richter Controls the Universe.

Horace is OTM.

Franken on Suit: What, Me Worry?

(2003-08-13)

Political satirist Al Franken responded yesterday to the lawsuit by Fox News
charging him with trademark infringement over the use of the words "fair and
balanced" in the title of his upcoming book, "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell
Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right."

"I normally prefer not to be out of the country on vacation when I'm sued.
However, from everything I know about law regarding satire, I'm not worried,"
Franken said in a statement.

"But I'd like to thank Fox for all the publicity," he added. About 24 hours
before reports of the lawsuit hit the newsstands, Franken's book, due out next
month, ranked No. 489 in sales on Amazon.com. But by about 5 p.m.
yesterday, it had shot up to No. 4.

In the suit, Fox News describes Franken as "unstable," "shrill," "intoxicated"
and "deranged."

"As far as the personal attacks go, when I read 'intoxicated or deranged' and
'shrill and unstable' in their complaint, I thought for a moment I was a Fox
commentator," Franken said.

"And by the way, a few months ago, I trademarked the word 'funny.' So when
Fox calls me 'unfunny,' they're violating my trademark. I am seriously
considering a countersuit."

-- Lisa de Moraes

Al Franken is a loud mouth whose tenure on Saturday Night Live could not end too soon. He's only funny to the dolts that read his salacious drivel.

Other than that, I like him.

That choice came from Fox's Department of Redundancy Department.

Their theory was that "suicide" makes one sympathetic to the bomber. Yeah, don't ask me to explain that.

This is after O'Reilly, who got in a spat with Franken at some press event, expressed the desire to kill Al Franken (really!).

some of their arguments that have been made public -- that Franken is "not a serious commentator" (as compared to O'Reilly? Hannity? Coulter?) -- are laughable, though.

Of course I doubt there were any high-level meetings that actually decided this. I think it's interesting that on one side you've got Rush and O'Reily with their schtick vs the Daily Show and Al Franken with theirs.

Has anyone else seen this?

I mean laughing is an emotion, right? RIGHT???

No, laughing is an emotional response.

I am very disappointed in this book!, April 3, 1997
Reviewer: A reader

With the possible exception of "Rush Limbaugh is a big fatidiot and other observations," this is the most mean spiritedbook ever written in
the English language!

Sorry Alex, I trademarked "moreover" during my lunch hour today. Perhaps you'd like to make another selection from the following:

1. In addition
2. Furthermore
3. Besides

http://imagesource.allposters.com/images/30/024_aa471.jpg

http://video.C-SPAN.org:8080/ramgen/ndrive/btv053103_4.rm?start=4:16:18&end=5:45:37

http://video.C-SPAN.org:8080/ramgen/ndrive/btv053103_4.rm?start=4:16:18&end=5:45:37

OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR
Paul Newman Is Still HUD
By PAUL NEWMAN

The Fox News Network is suing Al Franken, the political satirist, for using the phrase "fair and balanced" in the title of his new book. In claiming trademark violation, Fox sets a noble example for standing firm against whatever.

Unreliable sources report that the Fox suit has inspired Paul Newman, the actor, to file a similar suit in federal court against the Department of Housing and Urban Development, commonly called HUD. Mr. Newman claims piracy of personality and copycat infringement.

In the 1963 film "HUD," for which Mr. Newman was nominated for an Academy Award, the ad campaign was based on the slogan, "Paul Newman is HUD." Mr. Newman claims that the Department of Housing and Urban Development, called HUD, is a fair and balanced institution and that some of its decency and respectability has unfairly rubbed off on his movie character, diluting the rotten, self-important, free-trade, corrupt conservative image that Mr. Newman worked so hard to project in the film. His suit claims that this "innocence by association" has hurt his feelings plus residuals.

A coalition of the willing — i.e., the Bratwurst Asphalt Company and the Ypsilanti Hot Dog and Bean Shop — has been pushed forward and is prepared to label its products "fair and balanced," knowing that Fox News will sue and that its newscasters will be so tied up with subpoenas they will only be able to broadcast from the courtroom, where they will be seen tearing their hair and whining, looking anything but fair and balanced, which would certainly be jolly good sport all around.

Paul Newman, an actor, is chief executive of Salad King.

And I was going to dine there today, too!

On the news channels, people want to see some bulldogs yell at each other and complain, meanwhile on the network they are coming up with quasi-softcore porn for dollars. Same audience, different part of the cranium I suppose.

That line from The Simpsons where Marge states that "not remembering when Fox became a hardcore porn channel" is probably more telling than anything.