the mel box: malibu church of the holy family at yahoo dot com 
Mel is threatening to sue!
Seriously.
Letter here:
It reads in part:
Seriously.
Letter here:
It reads in part:
I am litigation counsel to Mel Gibson. It has come to our attention that you are operating a purported "Mel Gibson Blog" at http://www.melgibsonsblog.blogspot.com. On behalf of Mr. Gibson, I demand that you immediately cease and desist any further use of Mr. Gibson's name, likeness, or persona[...]
Under California Law, the appropriation of any persons name, voice, likeness, etc., commercially or otherwise, is actionable in a suit for damages[...]
To avoid litigation over this clear violation of Mr. Gibson's rights, please cease the operation of this blog immediately and confirm the same to me no later than 5 p.m. tomorrow, PST.
posted by Cheney08 | 1:13 PM
95 Comments:
Um, like, and this surprises you?
(insert "duh" emoticon here)
The Passion of Mel Gibson has begun...at the hands Judeo-Secularist Canadians! Orare Mel Gibson.
Remember what Al Franken said to Bill O'Reilly when O'R threatened to sue him?
Please sue me! PLEASE, oh PUH-LEEASE!!!
Okay, now - for the first time in 34 years I'm actually wishing I had taken a tiny bit of Latin back in high school.
mel, mel, mel--I mean the real one. YOU are a nutcake. Don't like it? Give it a miss. Turn the other cheek or blog or . . .
My man mel? This mel? Rock on.
The letter sounds like an amateur wrote it.
Rock & Roll man!
It kills me when celebrities take the time to 'protect' their good name after they've made asses of themselves (paging Tom Cruise...hello, Tom?!?). If they use their celebrity to further their own agenda/opinions/biases, they shouldn't be pissed when people call them on it.
Just throw a tiny print disclaimer at the bottom of the blog, "I am not Mel Gibson. This is a satirical blog." Then tell the lawyers to go fuck themselves.
This isn't Mel Gibson's blog?
You're in my agnostic prayers, Mel ;o) ("God, if you exist, please watch over the fella who runs Mel's Musings, and keep his safe from frivolous litigation . . .")
Ordinarily, I would dismiss this as a bogus lawsuit, clearly ignoring the 1st Amendment and well accepted protections for satire. But this is Bush's America . . .
Watch your back, man.
Who's mel gibson?
Is he that guitar guy?
I like his beard tho...
R2K
I find parody blogs extremely partisan and in bad taste. I urge all concerned to engage in a process of sincere self-reflection.
yeah, I like jr kinnard's idea and adding a nole contendre because there's no way you're as crazy as that other dude. plus it's got that latin thing happening.
one thing i have in common with THE SAVIOR...
when it cums to women
we hang out with the whores
...GOTTA GO WITH THE PROS.
What's wrong with having a parity site anyway? It's a computer thing, isn't it? And don't all computers need parity to work?
Uh, oh, p-a-rity. Oh, that's different!
Nevery mind!
(Miss ya, Gilda!)
The Mel Gibson? The Mel Gibson who used to run the ice cream shop downtown? Damn! So glad I found you in the blogosphere. I'd like one scoop of he's-f**king-off-his-rocker, and sprinkle on some time-for-lithium-injections.
Check ya later!
Ann Altmouse:
I find your avatar in poor taste and urge you to avoid self-reflection.
Mel Gibson:
Leave this poor guy alone. Remember that any publicity is good publicity, and stop being a bully over something silly.
I really didn't like Passion of the Christ.
Sorry.
Still waiting for Lethal Weapon 26
Lionel Hutz there will probably try to bullshit youwith big words form the Lanham (trademarks) Act. Hew won't come out and say it directly, because he wants you to pull the pin on your site, but he'll be arguing essentially: "some people might think that the 'real' Gibson 'endorses' your website".
So, if they say "Lanham" or "trademarks" or some shit like that, just put up a brief disclaimer that says:
"Disclaimer: This Wbsite and the shit on it are not affiliated with the crap actor Mel Gibson, his shit, his stupid religious views, his jesus-snuff movies and related voodoo paraphernalia, or his dumbass business empire, so fuck you."
.
It's obvious this is a parody site! 'Mel' isn't posting in Aramaic!
VKW
To TellTaleHeart:
Now that is the funniest fuckin' thing I've read all week!! Thanks..
Hey Real Mel, don't you have another shitty movie to direct, or a Holocaust to deny or something?
Whaa...where am I? What day is it? What is this machine my fingers are moving over...
*drool*
It's a hoax, they don't represent him. His lawyers are Gluttony Sloth Envy Lust and sons.
Another idea: Take a look in the phone book for the name mel gibson. Cut and paste to the attorney who wrote you and ask why he isn't suing all of them too. Also, ask to see documentation of his US copyright of the name mel gibson.
What an asshole
Why am I always the last to know anything? I didn't even know Mel has a blog. And now someone is claiming it's not even Mel's blog? I'm highly disappointed here!
Seems to me the not so cryptic message spelled out at the very top of the site should be a dead give away...
File a complaint with the bar association against the lawyer. Any competent attorney knows that parody is protected speech; this means that the lawyer is deceiving you into thinking you have to shut down the site. That is unethical conduct.
Hmm, since they're quoting multiple state laws, this looks like an interstate thing, making this a matter of Federal jurisdiction. IIRC, the Supreme Court is rather lenient in allowing things to be considered parody and the like under the first amendment. Even if it's not federal, the fourteenth amendment's gurantee of equal protection under the law means that the first amendment still applies for intrastate stuff.
As far as I can tell, real Mel can shove it. Hard. But then again, I'm not a lawyer.
Brilliant Blog! Always nice to see nuttery lampooned.
Indeed, tell Hutz, Esq., to get bent--this is a clear freedom-of-speech issue. Get your legal defense fund established with a P.O. Box, a PayPal (for donations)account established, forward the letter to the local media (and national) with an introductory letter outling your game plan. Dash off a well-worded missive to Hutz, Esq., letting him know that the gloves are off.
You'll never hear from him again. What a tosser.
Note to Mel: What Would Jesus Do? Yeah, he'd sue a f-ing blogger! Litigious tantrums are so Christ-like--top marks (hypocritical "Christian" git)!
"Ruined his career?" You mean the movie where he grossed over $400 million and because the stupid liberal studios passed on it, he keeps most of the money himself? Yea, he really "ruined" his career.
We are all Mel Gibson.
you might look around for other examples of parody sites if you are just lying and foolin all us nice simple folk who believe in our hearts that mel gibson really does endorse this piece.
you can 1) see how they avoid or have dealt with lawyers' sullen letters, and 2) use them as examples if you decide to respond to mr. arnold t. pants, esq.
gee this is all so fun and educational
Next thing you know.. jesus is going to sue james Caviezel. Screw mel gibson and his religion!
Wait till he finds out you're really Debbie 'Melanie' Gibson and he can't lay a Glover on you. That'll light up his life, fer sure.
Here's the thing... Blogspot likes to delete blogs and ask questions later. I'd expect that, no matter what you say to the lawyer, this blog won't be around long.
But hey, it's easy enough to move. And you should - Greatus workus. Keep satire alive.
That bitch Hearst owns my ass.
I thought Mel was Funny? Didn't he get a bag-piper set on him by Jodie Foster ? Isn't he fun and funny?Comedies ..with lots of extra-judicial executions...n stuff...funny..?... ha?
I guess we can just dismiss all Mel's sense-of-humory act and focus , really focus on his beliefs and teachings.
And after all that shit he pulled with the Savior ....
He's crazy. Er or you are
www.johnbutiu.com
In case anyone hasn't noticed, it's stated that this is satire at the top of the blog. Read each bolded letter in the latin text.
Mel thought, "What would jesus do?"
then did the exact opposite
mel gibson is afake Aussie
Maybe someone should nominate Mel for a spot on the Supreme Court. That way when someone asks about one of his crappy old movies, he can just say "I don't remember..." or "I haven't any recollection of that..."
Besides, having someone with half a blue face (sorta like trying to deprive his right-brain of oxygen?) as part of SCOTUS makes for good TV.
mmmm....TV...William Wallace...Mike Wallace...who gives a rip!
Hire an attorney tommorow morning. I mean it.
That "code" at the top of the blog clearly explains that this is a satire blog. Gibson's lawyer -- if that is a letter from his lawyer -- must have way too much time on his hands and is trying to justify his existance.
By the way. I have not seen Passion of the Christ. I understand from the reviews that it was a particularly offensive horror movie and I don't get off on people being gruesomely tortured.
FYI I would suggest that you submit the Cease and Desist letter to http://www.chillingeffects.org/
It is "A joint project of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, University of San Francisco, University of Maine, George Washington School of Law, and Santa Clara University School of Law clinics."
Finally I encourage you all to join the Electronic Freedom Foundation. They are doing a LOT of great work on this topic to help bloggers, online publications and journalists.
They have some good links that talk about what is allowed and what is not.
"Chilling Effects encourages respect for intellectual property law, while frowning on its misuse to "chill" legitimate activity. "
"In addition, we want your help. We are gathering a searchable database of Cease and Desist notices sent to Internet users like you. We invite you to input Cease and Desist letters that you've received into our database, to document the chill. We will respond by linking the legalese in the letters to FAQs that explain the allegations in plain English. "
By submitting the C&D letter they
Poor crazy ass Mel. (I mean the real one hehe)
Sad thing is that this blog will probably give him more publicity than his crappy movies do now.
Oh and George Bush should be impeached.
The worry for Gibson is that you may take away his going rate for appearances.
It's not his name or face he's worried about.
He gets paid for ass time in his movies, anything showing his butt gets more money.
It's all about the ass. He'll sue your ass all right.
He even has rates for assbound denim and leather. That's straight up tight, to say in hip-hop terms...
So unless you're on the stairclimber and abscruncher, he really has nothing to worry ab out.
Otherwise he'll settle out of court for an agreement to be his ass's stunt-double in closeups for his next film.
-Mr.Murder
Maybe Mel should sue himself over not doing The Three Stooges movie yet.
Love the disclaimer
THE LATIN TO ENGLISH TRANSLATION IS ...
Nostrum Ordnum Tuum Rex Excelcis Alleluhiah Laudnum Liceum Yom Tuum Hosaih Evangelum Meum Exaltum Liberta Georgios Iohanis Borei Suum Opus Noster. Justum Unum Salve Tuum Adentum Sonorum Aveum Trium Iesu Rex Eum.
Our Ordnum Your The king Superior Alleluhiah Laudnum Unimpeded Yom Your Hosaih The gospel My To raise high Freedom Agricultural Iohanis Borei Its Deed Our. Equitable One To be well Your Adentum To cry out Aveum Three Iesu The king He.
If they have got lawyered up then throw a few casess at them such as Arkell v. Pressdram (1971) [unreported]. OK, I know it's English, but it's appropriate.
Why do lawyers wear ties?
It keeps the foreskin from coming up around their ears......
Did he fax the letter from a Chinese restaurant?
Tom Waits' case - WAITS V. FRITO-LAY, INC., 978 F.2D 1093 - is distiguishable from the current situation with this mel site, but I love the Tom Waits quote about litigation and hope Mel feels it too!
--------------------------------
Tom Waits (1992): "I haven't seen a dime. These things go on forever and forever. Never get involved in litigation. Your hair will fall out, your bones will turn to sand. And it will still be going on. "It was like throwing a rock through a window-but you wait for five years to hear the sound. Litigation is like picking up a glass of water with a prosthetic hand. It's very frustrating, and you'll never get it to your lips. But when you have to, you have to. If somebody burned your house down, you'd have to do something about it."(3)
http://www.keeslau.com/TomWaitsSupplement/Copyright/copyrightwaitsfrito.htm
Don't give in like that Michael Bay blog did, or Channel101 did over House of Cosbys.
Parody is protected speech. Tell Mel and his weenie lawyer to stick it where the sun don't shine.
I used to like his films but these days I can't stand to even look at his face.
Mel:
Watching you fuck, suck, kill, torture, rape, and be tortured in your films over the years taught me the true meaning of Xianity. You are a saint, and your dad must have stuck some hard Nazi crucifixes up your arse. Dog bless...
ummm...
Oh my god, he's hired a christ killing jew lawyer.
sean penn has the same issue with email addresses ...
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/44460&rss=1
Art imitating life of vic-versa
Anonymous said...
mel gibson is afake Aussie
Actually Mel is a fake human, he's really the alien Kodos.
"Abortions for some, small American flags for others."
Parody is protected by law.
So it the right to counter-sue.
Hey, give Mel a break, he's obviously down and out - he only rates a junior associate? That's gotta hurt.
Mel is the same age I am I think, 49. He certainly hasn't aged well. Most male actors could still easily play a hunk at 49. Not Mel, he's a washed up has been. 4 packs a day doesn't make a good looking middle aged man. Harrison Ford for example can still play romantic leads and I think he's probably got 5 or 10 years on Mel. Mel is downright ugly to look at now. When he was young and in his prime he was probably the best looking guy in Hollywood.
He's has to get attention somehow.
Aw, tell the humorous little twit to walk up his arsehole and disappear, or in Latin, "ambulate in anum tuum, et disparate."
[Sr. Mary Benedict would kick ME in the arse for remembering so little of my 4 years of Latin in Catholic high school :D]
Dude, this guy is freakin' Daffy
Instead of wasting his huge disposable income suing people, he could help people who have Special Needs, like autism sue school systems that discrminate against them and kick them out. While "normal people" who are bullies that torment and hurass physically and mentally children get a slap on the wrist. What an @sshole. He doesn't appricate what God has given him. He's lucky that all his children can speak out for thier own well-being. But if he had a lower functing autistic child things would be differnt. Maby he'd be kinder I don't know.
Resolution of the litigation threat is straightforward. You have the right to parody, but not to use His name or likeness as if He were involved with your blog. I don't see any likeness of the protolitigant, just change the name of the blog to "malgibson". Two birds dead, one stone.
To the REAL Mel Gibson...
This is VERY "UN-AUSTRALIAN" of you!
This is an incredibly juvenile site. On reading the various posts about Mel, one can only draw the conclusion that yes, there are far more idiots out there in the world than first thought, one of whom runs and maintains this site.
People have always been hostile towards Christians and those that represent the good and clean in the world, and it will continue to be so, unfortunately. On looking upon the countenance of one who is so pure and good, you must then reflect on the evil and darkness in your own soul, and it angers you that you are foced to see this in yourself. Thus the hostility and anger towards Mel and others like him.
All we can hope for is that this silly little site will get the attention it deserves...nada.
"Anonymous said...
Instead of wasting his huge disposable income suing people, he could help people who have Special Needs, like autism sue school systems that discrminate against them and kick them out. While "normal people" who are bullies that torment and hurass physically and mentally children get a slap on the wrist. What an @sshole. He doesn't appricate what God has given him. He's lucky that all his children can speak out for thier own well-being. But if he had a lower functing autistic child things would be differnt. Maby he'd be kinder I don't know."
4:02 PM
Hey, your ignorance is showing. Mel has given millions of dollars to help others less fortunate than himself. He's given away more money than most people can make in several lifetimes. He's just not showy about it and doesn't use it to promote himself, as a lot of other celebrities have. Before you make erroneous statements, maybe you'd better do a little research.
i thought (s)mel's legal team was Dewey, Screwem and Howe...
so why does Mel Gibson do a google search on himself, anyway ?
How do you spell MEGLOMANIAC ??
Dixie... Proclaiming to be a Christian automatically makes you good? What good as Mel done? It's not what you say, it's what you do, silly simleton.
I would tink you should be a bit more aware of the false prophets Jesus talked about.
hmmm .. when's Lethal Weapon 8 coming out ? .. I can't wait
I hope he sues your a** off. Like or hate his "religion" what you are doing is tasteless. But what the heck, this is America, no? Grow up.
Mel says, "I'm going to use the money from the 'Passion' to start my own church.....so I can play banjo in a fruit hat! Jesus is Lord!!" bang! bang! (gunshots)
"woo-hoo!!"
(Stan) "holy ****! Mel Gibson is f**king crazy!"
----all you need to see is South Park's "Passion of the Jew"
I got two words for Mel: Jerry Falwell.
Should be fun stuff!
This has got to be one of the coolest comment posts ever! Hopefully NSA analysts can grok on it for years to come.
NTodd rox da house, and, Turd Blossom, we can only pray that this is a Mel Gibson, so we can see some truly wonderful Gibson daytime soap, er, court proceedings on TV of his tribulations, er, trials, in the years to come - just because he's a psycho-loony religiously insane card carrying member of the God Squad who might be a bit miffed that this parody hits dangerously close to the mark.
The REAL one sending lawsuit type letters to fart in this Mel Gibson's general legal direction, I mean..
wow, 100 comments. this blog really did boom
God bless you Mel.
Do not defend Western journalists against the Muslims. This is not our fight. Let them suffer the consequences of their own semitic hate.
Maybe he's suing because you're all a bunch of jerks. I wouldn't want people talking about me like that either. BTW some of you might want to spellcheck before posting your rants. Just a hint to make people take you more seriously.
yes, and bravehearts a crock of shit too. mad max was the only good film he did
Gibson is the most disgusting asshole. He gets arrested driving drunk and asks the cop if he's a Jew and says that "all the wars in the world are started by Jews"...I'm not even Jewish, but he's a total asshole, and the photo on this site with his dirty old man beard.......that's sexy? He has like 30 kids...he's disgusting. He's history in Hollywood. Move on, Mel. You're a hasbeen.
I agree! He's an asshole and finally his real nature came out: an ignorant person and a racist. Adieu mel.
Mel must be in a real pickle over this one.We all know that the best,smartest,trickiest,diabolicle,most conniving and ruthless lawyers are JEWS.And also why does he have a Moses beard when rumor has it Moses was a JEW?
This Mel Gibson,I could take or leave.
So, Gibson posts an apology -- http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2295020,00.html -- good sensitive, stuff, maybe written by his publicist? Doesn't say why he has this anti-semitic crap in his head in the first place. Would be like me cursing negros at a traffic stop. Don't know any, got no opinion. Mel's an anti-semite at his core. Go figure.
E news-flash 2012: Mel Brooks' long-awaited History of the World Part II, starring Gibson in Hitler on Ice! It's all good.
Thank you mel for saying what you said about the jews. I dont agree with what you said but... everyone else is so worried about being politically correct that they would let all the jews die just so that they could say they wern't prejudiced. Let the muslems walk all over them so they can be holier than thou. Crucify you because you had the gall to say what you felt even though it wasn't the thoughts of the majority.
Here is a hilarious Mel Gibson video that somebody just made:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a35UXkot1s
when will actors get it that they are public pets? They are TRAINED to act, portray the thoughts of others in a visual display. They did not GET REWARDED for their intellect or their morals. Roll Over Mel.
Mel Gibson is a total piece of crap that needs to be countersued by anyone who is not an idiot and tired of his crappy religious movies and the way he thinks it should have been and his slanderous take on the world. Citizens for Reality!!
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