Spike Lee Wins Temporary Halt to Spike TV

[Guest MrRant]

NEW YORK - Spike Lee (news) has temporarily spiked Spike TV.

 

A Manhattan judge on Thursday granted Lee's petition and ordered Viacom Inc. to stop using Spike TV as the new name for its TNN network, pending a trial on the issue.

 

State Supreme Court Justice Walter Tolub ordered Lee to post a $500,000 bond to cover Viacom's losses in case the company wins.

 

Viacom announced the name change in April as part of its transformation of TNN into "the first network for men." Spike TV shows reruns of "The A-Team," "Baywatch" and "Miami Vice," sports entertainment such as pro wrestling and "American Gladiators" — plus an animated series featuring Pamela Anderson (news) as the voice of Stan Lee's "Stripperella," an undercover operative who is also a stripper.

 

Lee, whose numerous directing credits include "Malcolm X" and "Do the Right Thing," said he sued Viacom to protect his name from a deliberate attempt to capitalize on his image and prestige.

 

Viacom's lawyers said Lee cannot prove their network's new name refers to him. And they said no New York law gives a celebrity's first name the protection Lee is seeking without some other suggestion of the person's persona.

 

But the judge disagreed.

 

"Contrary to defendants' position, the court is of the opinion that in the age of mass communication, a celebrity can in fact establish a vested right in the use of only their first name or a surname," the judge wrote. "There are many celebrities that are so recognized, including Cher, Madonna (news - web sites), Sting and Liza."

 

He also said the name protection would probably be available if a network proposed a program called the "Cronkite News Hour."

 

Lee's lawyer, Johnnie Cochran, said, "We're obviously elated. We had a good judge who looked at the law and at the facts."

 

Dan Martinsen, spokesman for the network, said Viacom would appeal immediately and seek a stay of the judge's order. "We respectfully disagree with the judge's decision, which was not supported by the law or the evidence," Martinsen said.

 

Viacom, which bought TNN in 2000, also owns the CBS, VH1 and UPN networks, the Showtime movie channel and book publisher Simon & Schuster.

[Guest J*ingus]

Wow, this is such bullshit. Spike Lee isn't exactly a superstar with the same recognition factor with Madonna, for one thing. If anything, the makers of Buffy should be suing them, as a certain blond Cockney vampire is most likely where TNN got the name from.

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

The only logical explanation for this is if he bribed someone. Other than that....

 

*shakes head at the bullshit, and goes back to listening Floop's Song on eternal loop*

[Guest wwF1587]

so what the hell will tnn do june 16 if they cant use spike tv? they have been advertising for a while now....

[Guest razazteca]

This is just cheap hype for a network that nobody really pays attention too.

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

This is so amazingly wonderful. That is all.

[Guest MrRant]

so what the hell will tnn do june 16 if they cant use spike tv? they have been advertising for a while now....

Pay him off.

[Guest Ravenbomb]

looks like Spike Lee's been hanging out with the World Wildlife Fund

[Guest godthedog]

maybe they could revamp their whole format & turn it into a spike lee channel. that would certainly be more interesting than what we get now.

[rising up out of the back seat-nuh 0]

Hey it was Johnny Cochran.

 

He probably did the whole Chewbacca defence thing like on South Park.

[Guest Mole]

That is so surprising and with so much bullshit.

[Guest JHawk]

"Contrary to defendants' position, the court is of the opinion that in the age of mass communication, a celebrity can in fact establish a vested right in the use of only their first name or a surname," the judge wrote. "There are many celebrities that are so recognized, including Cher, Madonna (news - web sites), Sting and Liza."

 

When he says Sting, is he referring to the singer or the wrestler?

 

If there was no lawsuit over that one 15 years ago, then Spike Lee needs to shut the fuck up right now.

 

The fact that they've never mentioned Spike Lee on TNN ought to be clue enough that Spike Lee has nothing to do with it.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Now Elvis Costello needs to come in and sue, after all, he did release an album called "Spike." And Joss Wedon has a character on Buffy called "Spike." So he'd better sue as well.

 

Spike Lee is an asshole and this is such a joke.

[Guest Eagan469]

this is the dumbest thing ever

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

The new The National Spike TV Network

 

TNSTVN!

 

or

 

TNN - Spike Lee be haterizin on us

[Guest MrRant]

I would worship the channel if they used " Spike be haterizin on a playa"

[Guest godthedog]

and have ODB's "nigga please" as its theme song, & show a picture of lee whenever they play it.

 

that would REALLY piss him off.

[Guest DVD Spree]

When he says Sting, is he referring to the singer or the wrestler?

 

If there was no lawsuit over that one 15 years ago, then Spike Lee needs to shut the fuck up right now.

 

There was no lawsuit because Steve Borden pays a licence fee to Fields of Gold Sting for the rights to use his name, which I guess is a reason to mention him by name.

 

Still, the case is ridiculous. Would make for a good angle for Teddy Long though...

[Guest hardyz1]

When will Spike Jonze sue Spike Lee?

[Guest Youth N Asia]

When will Spike Jonze sue Spike Lee?

Amd why didn't Spike Jones sue Spike Jonzse?

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

I don't know what's sadder -- the actual event, or knowing when I first heard about Lee's lawsuit last week (or whenever I first heard about it) that a judge would find his argument valid.

 

I wonder if Spikey is now going to sue Lee Jeans?...

[Yuna_Firerose 0]

I don't know what's sadder -- the actual event, or knowing when I first heard about Lee's lawsuit last week (or whenever I first heard about it) that a judge would find his argument valid.

Aside from him winning, I think the saddest thing, at least to me anyway, is that Edward Norton supports him.

[Guest Crucifixio Jones]

Well, if you're Ed do you support Spike or TNN? Heh.

 

At any rate, this is just fucking dumb and the only thing more dumb than Spike suing in the first place has GOT to be the judge who thinks this case has one ounce of validity.

[Guest hardyz1]

Will he sue the makers of Rugrats for having a dog named Spike?

[Guest MrRant]

Hanna Barbara should sue because of Spike the dog in the Tom and Jerry cartoons.

[Guest Lil Naitch]

Just wait for Spike Lee to sue Whedon over Spike.

Then it will be to much.

As it is now, it's just freakin' hillarious.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Just flipped on TNN to see the imploding ring on Vel. and it looks like the network isn't talking about changing to Spike anymore. Funny stuff...

[Guest lomasmoney]

why should steve borden have to pay sting for the rights to use the name sting. Its just a damn name and no one should confuse a professional wrestler with a member of the police unless its the big bossman circa 1988

[Guest Eagan469]

why should steve borden have to pay sting for the rights to use the name sting. Its just a damn name and no one should confuse a professional wrestler with a member of the police unless its the big bossman circa 1988

[Guest Lil Naitch]

TNN's now running adds saying it's the First Network for Men, but it can't say it's name due to a New York state ruling.