FARK.com: (6922783) Joe Francis sends Madonna cease and desist letter concerning her "Girls Gone Wild" song. "Mr. Francis has worked tirelessly for an excess of two decades to build his brand and to protect his trademark Girls Gone Wild"

If you can read this, either the style sheet didn't load or you have an older browser that doesn't support style sheets. Try clearing your browser cache and refreshing the page.

		Joe Francis sends Madonna cease and desist letter concerning her "Girls Gone Wild" song. "Mr. Francis has worked tirelessly for an excess of two decades to build his brand and to protect his trademark Girls Gone Wild" (eonline.com)		92
		More: Silly, Girls Gone Wild, Joe Francis, Madonna, cease and desist letter, mitochondrial DNA, Play Nice, partners, subject lines

• • •

3031 clicks; posted to Entertainment » on 04 Feb 2012 at 6:41 PM | Favorite | share:

Share this link:

URL:

http://fark.com/go/6922783

Bookmark:

Article Comments close

92 Comments (+0 »)

View Voting Results: Smartest and Funniest

Archived thread

First | « | 1 | 2 | » | Last | Show all

SharkTrager		2012-02-05 12:20:20 AM

browntimmy: Jonathan Hohensee: Joe Francis, the founder of the "Girls Gone Wild" empire, is humiliating me. He has my face pressed against the hood of a car, my arms twisted hard behind my back. He's pushing himself against me, shouting: "This is what they did to me in Panama City!" (new window)

Francis is clearly a jack-off but that article helps confirm my theory that if more women were in charge porn would be illegal.

Because she takes issue with being physically assaulted and accurately reports about Francis being guilty of filming minors and accused of rape as well as repeating several stories of his general dickishness?

LectertheChef		2012-02-05 12:23:19 AM

browntimmy: optional: browntimmy: Jonathan Hohensee: Joe Francis, the founder of the "Girls Gone Wild" empire, is humiliating me. He has my face pressed against the hood of a car, my arms twisted hard behind my back. He's pushing himself against me, shouting: "This is what they did to me in Panama City!" (new window)

Francis is clearly a jack-off but that article helps confirm my theory that if more women were in charge porn would be illegal.

Wait, so because Francis was pantomiming the rape he suffered on a reporter, it therefore follows that she wants porn to be illegal? Seems more like he's really doing something he shouldn't.

I'm talking about the article, you apparently just read the headline.

GGW is low grade fap material for people too stupid or prudish to watch real porn. It's like jacking off to the underwear section of a Sear's catalog when your next door neighbor's hot 18 year old daughter is nude sunbathing in full view. It's like eating at McDonald's when a local steakhouse is giving away free steaks. It's like watching GGW when your drunk hot cousin is trying to fark you. It's like watching an Adam Sandler movie when you can be doing anything else.

Barry McCokiner		2012-02-05 12:24:18 AM

Nihilist's Guide to Reticent Entropy: I am normally a pacifist, but I would probably cheer if someone just straight-up raped this guy until he was dead.

I feel the same way about the guy who invented the ads on the side of pr0n site videos with the skinny ass dudes with the huge schlongs. I hope the guy who invented those ads gets raped by one of those guys

Dr J Zoidberg		2012-02-05 12:27:00 AM

LectertheChef: browntimmy: optional: browntimmy: Jonathan Hohensee: Joe Francis, the founder of the "Girls Gone Wild" empire, is humiliating me. He has my face pressed against the hood of a car, my arms twisted hard behind my back. He's pushing himself against me, shouting: "This is what they did to me in Panama City!" (new window)

Francis is clearly a jack-off but that article helps confirm my theory that if more women were in charge porn would be illegal.

Wait, so because Francis was pantomiming the rape he suffered on a reporter, it therefore follows that she wants porn to be illegal? Seems more like he's really doing something he shouldn't.

I'm talking about the article, you apparently just read the headline.

GGW is low grade fap material for people too stupid or prudish to watch real porn. It's like jacking off to the underwear section of a Sear's catalog when your next door neighbor's hot 18 year old daughter is nude sunbathing in full view. It's like eating at McDonald's when a local steakhouse is giving away free steaks. It's like watching GGW when your drunk hot cousin is trying to fark you. It's like watching an Adam Sandler movie when you can be doing anything else.

Cool, I've never actually talked to a farker from Iowa

LectertheChef		2012-02-05 12:27:55 AM

Nihilist's Guide to Reticent Entropy: I am normally a pacifist, but I would probably cheer if someone just straight-up raped this guy until he was dead.

Oh, I'm sorry, I meant "raped this guy again"

Rape isn't as funny a method of execution as making him eat himself. Cutting him up one piece at a time, and making him eat the pieces. Raw of course, one such as Joe Francis doesn't deserve proper culinary preparation.

fearthebunnyman		2012-02-05 12:29:58 AM

ongbok: Al Zeimer: Cerebral Knievel: As much as I hate the guy, he has a point, and his lawsuit is valid. he has a copyright on the term. and if you have a copyright, you defend that copyright.it is his prerogative to defend his copyright, no matter how sleazy he or his business may be.
defend your copyright, or loose it.. that;s how copyright law works.

But what if he says that the reason why she used that name is because she is using the notoriety that his trademark created for that name to sell her product. So she is using his brand to sell her product.

Would he have a case then?

I don't have a GED in law, so take this with a grain of salt, but this is Madonna we're talking about. I know a lot of people of Fark like to say she's washed up or what have you, but the reality is she's still selling out concerts when she does them and selling out her albums, garners tons of attention whenever she opens her mouth, etc etc etc. And she's well established - she doesn't NEED Joe Francis of all people, or his catch phrases, to sell her product. So I fail to see how that kind of argument would hold up.

That said, this is a Madonna/GGW thread, so it should be be full of pics of the titillating varaiety - I'd do it myself but my HTML skillz are shiat and I'm pre-gaming (aka drunk). Can someone redeem this? Current man-arms aside, Madonna herself has already in the past more than made good on this kind of thing, and like Cerebral Knievel: I prefer my nekkid ladies to be aware and willing in what they are doing rather than college girls having a dumb drunken moment and being exploited for it, so there's a good place to start....but I'm a dick so I'll accept anything :)

/hopeful
//and lazy

LectertheChef		2012-02-05 12:30:10 AM

Dr J Zoidberg: LectertheChef: browntimmy: optional: browntimmy: Jonathan Hohensee: Joe Francis, the founder of the "Girls Gone Wild" empire, is humiliating me. He has my face pressed against the hood of a car, my arms twisted hard behind my back. He's pushing himself against me, shouting: "This is what they did to me in Panama City!" (new window)

Francis is clearly a jack-off but that article helps confirm my theory that if more women were in charge porn would be illegal.

Wait, so because Francis was pantomiming the rape he suffered on a reporter, it therefore follows that she wants porn to be illegal? Seems more like he's really doing something he shouldn't.

I'm talking about the article, you apparently just read the headline.

GGW is low grade fap material for people too stupid or prudish to watch real porn. It's like jacking off to the underwear section of a Sear's catalog when your next door neighbor's hot 18 year old daughter is nude sunbathing in full view. It's like eating at McDonald's when a local steakhouse is giving away free steaks. It's like watching GGW when your drunk hot cousin is trying to fark you. It's like watching an Adam Sandler movie when you can be doing anything else.

Cool, I've never actually talked to a farker from Iowa

Oh like you've never thought about it.

Dr J Zoidberg		2012-02-05 12:44:34 AM

LectertheChef: Dr J Zoidberg: LectertheChef: browntimmy: optional: browntimmy: Jonathan Hohensee: Joe Francis, the founder of the "Girls Gone Wild" empire, is humiliating me. He has my face pressed against the hood of a car, my arms twisted hard behind my back. He's pushing himself against me, shouting: "This is what they did to me in Panama City!" (new window)

Francis is clearly a jack-off but that article helps confirm my theory that if more women were in charge porn would be illegal.

Wait, so because Francis was pantomiming the rape he suffered on a reporter, it therefore follows that she wants porn to be illegal? Seems more like he's really doing something he shouldn't.

I'm talking about the article, you apparently just read the headline.

GGW is low grade fap material for people too stupid or prudish to watch real porn. It's like jacking off to the underwear section of a Sear's catalog when your next door neighbor's hot 18 year old daughter is nude sunbathing in full view. It's like eating at McDonald's when a local steakhouse is giving away free steaks. It's like watching GGW when your drunk hot cousin is trying to fark you. It's like watching an Adam Sandler movie when you can be doing anything else.

Cool, I've never actually talked to a farker from Iowa

Oh like you've never thought about it.

Not unless you count a chick who was like my 2nd cousin (I think?) I get confused, I think she was my dad's cousin's kid and we met once at a wedding.

Rubber Biscuit		2012-02-05 02:38:05 AM

Girls Gone Moldy might be a nice compromise.

LoneWolf343		2012-02-05 02:43:57 AM

browntimmy: Jonathan Hohensee: Joe Francis, the founder of the "Girls Gone Wild" empire, is humiliating me. He has my face pressed against the hood of a car, my arms twisted hard behind my back. He's pushing himself against me, shouting: "This is what they did to me in Panama City!" (new window)

Francis is clearly a jack-off but that article helps confirm my theory that if more women were in charge porn would be illegal.

lolno. Ever read My Secret Garden? I have. Women are freaks.

/It's why I'm going to men.
//WAIT NO-!

omeganuepsilon		2012-02-05 03:12:04 AM

Cerebral Knievel: I'm most certainly not a prude by any stretch of the measure

um
LOL

Whatever.
Cerebral Knievel: a beautiful business model to be sure, but one that costs one their soul..
...
the videos made me feel I like was commiserate in a rape

You take "prude" to a whole new level.

Don't go to Mardi Gras, it's a ticket straight to hell for people of your religion.

redly1		2012-02-05 03:12:39 AM

awe, two whores about to battle it out

Pizilla		2012-02-05 03:27:12 AM

Is this FARK.Com? The same website and threads that celebrate hot female teacher on teenage male stories? The same website that had a headline "Don Cornelius kicks off black history month with a bang"??

What's with the joe Francis hate?
If you're a guy, you Have jacked it to at least ONE of his videos.
If you're a
Guy, you KNOW you've jacked it to Madonna. If your under the age of 20..get off our lawn.

The rest of you. Go make us sammiches.....

Scorpinock		2012-02-05 04:07:46 AM

FRANCIS!

100 Watt Walrus		2012-02-05 04:26:10 AM

PillsHere: One dbag suing another dbag. I'm not sure who to side with here...

Of course I think it's ridiculous that you can copyright/patton/trademark a phrase. It reminds me of how Paris Hilton was suing people who were using "That's Hot" on merchandise because it was her catchphrase that she got a patton on or something. That's just stupid to me.

i.imgur.com

WTF are you talking about, son?

ko_kyi		2012-02-05 06:09:36 AM

A trademark that goes undefended pretty soon is not a trademark - if you allow someone to use your trademark for a while and you can't show damages, you have a lot tougher time trying to stop them later. While it is true that there is supposed to be some possibility of confusion for a lawsuit to be successful, in practice the huge corporation can simply throw a hundred grand to the lawyers and the small business often cannot, so they comply with the C&D letter.

Link (new window)

ryarger		2012-02-05 06:12:34 AM

Pizilla: Is this FARK.Com? The same website and threads that celebrate hot female teacher on teenage male stories? The same website that had a headline "Don Cornelius kicks off black history month with a bang"??

What's with the joe Francis hate?
If you're a guy, you Have jacked it to at least ONE of his videos.
If you're a
Guy, you KNOW you've jacked it to Madonna. If your under the age of 20..get off our lawn.

The rest of you. Go make us sammiches.....

If you're under the age of 49 the absolutely only reasons to have *ever* wanked to a GGW video are:

A) You happened to be walking by a TV already playing one
B) You are too stupid to figure out how to operate a computer

Tell whoever is typing your posts for you that they aren't getting paid enough.

You seem to be under the impression that the Fark Hivemind is against Francis due to some sense of morality.

As you state, this is Fark. This is the second rung on the ladder of Internet taste. This is the scum just above the bottom of the barrel.

When a place as pathetic, valueless and tasteless as Fark has no time for your videos, you are below the standards of a place that has no standards.

*That* is why Francis draws the hate. He found a way to get rich for literally no reason.

Now of you'll excuse me, there's a new Bang Bus preview up to fap to.

Skarekrough		2012-02-05 07:35:55 AM

He has a fine legacy of drugging up coeds on Spring Break to defend.....

West_Side_Charlie		2012-02-05 07:44:35 AM

So to summarize, he's warning her not to sing a song she was already planning to not sing.

The_Philosopher_King		2012-02-05 08:38:11 AM

The problem I have with GGW is they seem to take advantage of drunk girls. A t-shirt is hardly the going rate for the sex industry. Besides, tit flashing is hardly that exciting if you aren't there in person. Those vids seem lame to me. If you want porn, watch porn. It isn't like it is hard to find on the internet. There you will find good looking women who made it their choice to enter the sex industry.

As for copyright issues. I think Joe is just trying to get publicity for his dying franchise. I am surprised this hasn't been posted yet:

www.pvponline.com

jaytkay		2012-02-05 08:51:13 AM

This thread needs a half-time show.

4.bp.blogspot.com

Mr.Tangent		2012-02-05 09:06:31 AM

Why must Madonna exploit poor Joe?

LeoffDaGrate		2012-02-05 09:08:57 AM

Al Zeimer: Cerebral Knievel: As much as I hate the guy, he has a point, and his lawsuit is valid. he has a copyright on the term. and if you have a copyright, you defend that copyright.it is his prerogative to defend his copyright, no matter how sleazy he or his business may be.
defend your copyright, or loose it.. that;s how copyright law works.

No. You are completely wrong here. You're confusing trade marks with copyrights. You can't copyright a phrase. You can trademark it. His trademark relates to movies. That doesn't mean that it applies to music. For instance, the Beatles (Apple Music) sued Apple Computers for trademark infringement. They lost because they were in different industries. But this is why itunes doesn't have Apple in the name. That would infringe on the Beatles' Apple trademark.

I believe your example sucks. Apple (Corps) vs. Apple (Computer) did indeed have a lawsuit for Trademark Infringement. That lawsuit was settled out of court, nobody "lost."

Apple (Corps) had several other lawsuits against Apple (Computer), but none of them had to do with Trademark Infringement. They had to do with Trademark Agreement, something entirely different.

Nem Wan		2012-02-05 09:42:29 AM

I believe this is the most relevant example: Iron Man (song) has nothing to do with Iron Man (superhero). No lawsuits, but eventually the song gets used in the superhero movies and video games.

varmitydog		2012-02-05 10:26:38 AM

If somebody were to douse the two of them with gasoline and set them ablaze, these two slimeballs would make a fine fire for a weenie roast.

jaytkay		2012-02-05 10:33:10 AM

As student with a Bentley deserves a cock-punch, too. And a swirly.

Already Disturbed		2012-02-05 10:34:34 AM

Oblig (new window)

Superjew		2012-02-05 11:55:20 AM

*ahem*:

SONG TITLES CANNOT BE COPYRIGHTED.

that is all.

Bukharin		2012-02-05 12:54:59 PM

dryknife		2012-02-05 01:20:10 PM

Snort		2012-02-05 03:21:48 PM

Cerebral Knievel: As much as I hate the guy, he has a point, and his lawsuit is valid. he has a copyright on the term. and if you have a copyright, you defend that copyright.
it is his prerogative to defend his copyright, no matter how sleazy he or his business may be.
defend your copyright, or loose it.. that;s how copyright law works.

with all that said.. the man is a disgusting pornographer who has no issue of ruining drunk barely legal women's lives for the cost of a T-shirt that advertises how he ruined there lives.via soft core pornography.

yes, n case you didn't know.. payment of service for a lot of those videos was a free t-shirt advertising his company
don't get me wrong, Im usually well in favor of idiots being idiots and reaping the rewards of their schinagins.. but there is a line you must draw to your own schinagins.. the man takes advantage of an easy situation and makes millions off of some random persons evening of indiscretion and poor judgement.. a beautiful business model to be sure, but one that costs one their soul..

I'm most certainly not a prude by any stretch of the measure.. but of the couple of videos Ive watched? the videos made me feel I like was commiserate in a rape. and, im sorry.. unless you are a straight up sick fark... Porn, hard core or soft shouldn't come off like that.

Copyright and trademark are two very different things.

Trademarks have been and will be used in songs. Depends on how douchey the trademark holder wants to be. Like Disney going after that song "i'm going to Disneyland (now dizz knee land)"

groppet		2012-02-05 05:14:31 PM

They dont run the GGW infomertials anymore. I always knew it was time to wake up when they ended.

Keizer_Ghidorah		2012-02-05 06:19:23 PM

Well, Nintendo copyrighted the phrase "It's on like Donkey Kong", but to be fair it has the name of one of their characters in it.

rubi_con_man		2012-02-05 07:09:36 PM

Except that Madonna TOTALLY has the right to use it in works of satire, commentary or discussion...

forgotmydamnusername		2012-02-05 07:23:11 PM

Dr J Zoidberg: LectertheChef: browntimmy: optional: browntimmy: Jonathan Hohensee: Joe Francis, the founder of the "Girls Gone Wild" empire, is humiliating me. He has my face pressed against the hood of a car, my arms twisted hard behind my back. He's pushing himself against me, shouting: "This is what they did to me in Panama City!" (new window)

Francis is clearly a jack-off but that article helps confirm my theory that if more women were in charge porn would be illegal.

Wait, so because Francis was pantomiming the rape he suffered on a reporter, it therefore follows that she wants porn to be illegal? Seems more like he's really doing something he shouldn't.

I'm talking about the article, you apparently just read the headline.

GGW is low grade fap material for people too stupid or prudish to watch real porn. It's like jacking off to the underwear section of a Sear's catalog when your next door neighbor's hot 18 year old daughter is nude sunbathing in full view. It's like eating at McDonald's when a local steakhouse is giving away free steaks. It's like watching GGW when your drunk hot cousin is trying to fark you. It's like watching an Adam Sandler movie when you can be doing anything else.

Cool, I've never actually talked to a farker from Iowa

Hey, I've had that happen, and the closest I've ever been to Iowa, or W. Virginia, for that matter, is 30,000 feet above in a 757. Of course, I didn't take advantage of the opportunity. I figured I didn't need a case of herpes that bad. It also would have been a fairly egregious violation of the "Never stick your dick in crazy!" rule. It's not like I could just give her a fake phone number and disappear afterward, either.

Cerebral Knievel		2012-02-05 09:42:04 PM

Snort: Cerebral Knievel: As much as I hate the guy, he has a point, and his lawsuit is valid. he has a copyright on the term. and if you have a copyright, you defend that copyright.
it is his prerogative to defend his copyright, no matter how sleazy he or his business may be.
defend your copyright, or loose it.. that;s how copyright law works.

with all that said.. the man is a disgusting pornographer who has no issue of ruining drunk barely legal women's lives for the cost of a T-shirt that advertises how he ruined there lives.via soft core pornography.

yes, n case you didn't know.. payment of service for a lot of those videos was a free t-shirt advertising his company
don't get me wrong, Im usually well in favor of idiots being idiots and reaping the rewards of their schinagins.. but there is a line you must draw to your own schinagins.. the man takes advantage of an easy situation and makes millions off of some random persons evening of indiscretion and poor judgement.. a beautiful business model to be sure, but one that costs one their soul..

I'm most certainly not a prude by any stretch of the measure.. but of the couple of videos Ive watched? the videos made me feel I like was commiserate in a rape. and, im sorry.. unless you are a straight up sick fark... Porn, hard core or soft shouldn't come off like that.

Copyright and trademark are two very different things.

Trademarks have been and will be used in songs. Depends on how douchey the trademark holder wants to be. Like Disney going after that song "i'm going to Disneyland (now dizz knee land)"

Yes, and thank you, I apologized for messing up the distinction earlier. And I'm much more sober..ish tonight if it means anything. But, I must still say that the man is duty bound to protect his trademark, or other wise loose it.. ...

oh.. where is that other quote... ah...I'll take my other knocks and stand corrected and gracious for the education.. .but this?
omeganuepsilon: Cerebral Knievel: I'm most certainly not a prude by any stretch of the measure

um
LOL

Whatever.
Cerebral Knievel: a beautiful business model to be sure, but one that costs one their soul..
...
the videos made me feel I like was commiserate in a rape

You take "prude" to a whole new level.

Don't go to Mardi Gras, it's a ticket straight to hell for people of your religion.

my statements had nothing to do with religion your self righteous, sanctimonious dick. Hell, I'm probably more anti-religion then you are!. my comments had nothing to do with god or religion, it was about human dignity and not taking advantage of someone when they are out of their full mental faculties.
also Mardi gras is part of the Ceremony of Lent. its about getting it all out of your system before you have to give penance.
it actually a very catholic thing to do. When I was down there however, all I saw were bunch of drunken assholes. in fact, it was wall to wall drunken redneck assholes, and while the random titties were nice and fun. well.. .I've been dealing with alcohol in serving and manufacturing for the past 20 years and I will say, at this point in my life, when I'm on vacation, I like to AVOID giant throngs of drunken assholes. so, you are right.. I do not enjoy Mardis Gras

omeganuepsilon		2012-02-06 02:10:49 AM

Cerebral Knievel: Hell, I'm probably more anti-religion then you are!

I bet you were before it was cool too!

But yeah, I'm the sanctimonious one...
/hipster douchebag

Cerebral Knievel: and while the random titties were nice and fun

being on tape is no more rape-like than seeing them in person
/Hypocrite.

MadAzza		2012-02-06 04:53:10 AM

omeganuepsilon:

/Hypocrite.

Good for you, honey! Admitting you're a hypocrite is the first step toward being slightly less annoying.

TheBlackrose		2012-02-06 12:17:06 PM

bangmaid: the_vegetarian_cannibal: Joe Francis picks me up in a black Escalade and we speed through Southern California as he regales me with tales of past Spring Breaks in Panama City, Florida. He has recently gone through a break-up and is feeling vulnerable.

We arrive at a palatial mansion off the coast of Newport Harbor. He cooks me dinner...shirtless. He sets out huge plates for the food, but when he is done cooking, all he has are these tiny purple scallops that he has painstakingly plated.

As we eat, the conversation gets kind of awkward. I notice a wedding party on the shore taking pictures and he explains that he allows weddings on his property to offset the cost of the mansion.

Why does this story sound so familiar?

Because suddenly, Vladimir Putin is Joe Francis.

Bag of Hammers		2012-02-06 01:15:10 PM

MadAzza: Mmm ... his face is just so ... punchable.

Apparently the inmates of the Florida Corrections System found his rectum to be equally punchable.

doczoidberg		2012-02-06 01:59:41 PM

You're all just jealous....

omeganuepsilon		2012-02-07 07:44:39 AM

MadAzza: omeganuepsilon:

/Hypocrite.

Good for you, honey! Admitting you're a hypocrite is the first step toward being slightly less annoying.

i.qkme.me