Who Says We Have To Be Consistent?

By Sidney Urquhart

When it comes to trademarks, a Hollywood studio is fending off lawyers with one hand and dialing them with the other. It seems the forthcoming MGM-Pathe buddy flick, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man, starring Don Johnson and Mickey Rourke, has the folks at Harley-Davidson and Philip Morris USA fretting about a dubious portrayal of two famous brand names. MGM-Pathe demurs, citing such precedents as Cadillac Man and The Coca-Cola Kid. But in New York City the studio is taking what appears to be the opposite side of the issue. MGM- Pathe is suing a gay and lesbian organization called the Pink Panthers, which patrols the streets to protect homosexual men and women from roving gangs of gay bashers. The Hollywood studio contends that the group's name and activities undermine the beloved public image of the bumbling Inspector Clouseau.

With reporting by Linda Williams