“Driven” into court

Pacific Rim Partners is suing the makers of Driven, claiming that the Warner Bros. and Franchise Pictures racing thriller will diminish the value of its 1996 film of the same name and will cause confusion among the public. Pacific Rim’s lawsuit, filed Thursday, alleges that Warner Bros. and Franchise Pictures violated the Lanham Act – which prohibits false designation of origin, representation or description – and engaged in unfair competition. According to the Motion Picture Association of America ‘s Title Registration Office, filmmakers can see whether a title they have picked has or will be named for another film and ask permission to use the title from the studio that first used it. The MPAA said that Warner Bros. and Franchise registered the title with the office, but Pacific Rim did not for its Driven. Franchise general counsel and executive vice president Erick Kwak, said in an interview on Friday: “It’s not at all unusual for various films to have the exact same title, and the majority of the time, permission is neither sought nor required,” Inside.com reports. Pacific Rim Partners is seeking $1 million in damages.