The 2016 Oscars took place on February 28th and tickets for the event were handed out on an invite-only basis. Well, the ticket broker Key Access tried to change that and sold tickets for the event. Less than three months later, they’re being sued by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The lawsuit was filed this past Friday in the Los Angeles Superior Court according to Deadline.
The Academy is claiming Key Access:
“Engaged, in the unauthorized sale and transfer of Academy Award tickets to members of the general public. And, in doing so, Defendants have used the Academy’s trademarks to promote and advertise the sale of those tickets.”
Yep, you can’t do that and the Academy protects their brand more efficiently than any other group.
Also named in the lawsuit is the founder, owner, and CEO of Key Access Dave Canter as a defendant. It’s claimed his company offered tickets to The Oscars back in February on Craigslist. The broker was selling them for around $37,000 each.
Later on, the suit states a Key Access employee worked with an unnamed third party to purchase two balcony seats for $27,500 and a pair of orchestra seats for $45,000. However, a deal was never made between Key Access and the unnamed third party.
The Academy sent a cease-and-desist letter back on February 26th to Key Access according to the lawsuit. It was sent before the Oscars and told the broker to stop selling the tickets.
“Defendants responded to the letter several times over the next two days,” the suit states, “stating that their infringement of the Academy’s trademarks was inadvertent. Defendants denied offering any tickets for sale but refused to provide any information to counsel for the Academy about their communications regarding selling tickets.”
The Academy’s lawsuit wants a jury trial and unspecified damages. It claims that there was a “breach of contract, trademark infringement, and the aiding and abetting trespass and unjust enrichment.”
The report and lawsuit never clearly state whether or not tickets were sold and people who purchased them attended the award ceremony. If they did, I hope they liked Spotlight.
[Deadline]
