Well, Abercrombie & Fitch you can’t have it both ways! You’re either with The Situation or you’re against him!
A few months back Abercrombie & Fitch publicly offered the GTL-lovin’ Situation money to stop wearing their clothes; issuing a press release claiming his affiliation with the company was bad for business and could do “significant damage” to their brand after Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino was photographed wearing it while filming Jersey Shore.
Then, the company followed up by creating t-shirts that clearly infringed on the skankerific star’s trademarks! Yes – Abercrombie & Fitch began selling shirts on their website emblazoned with “The Fitchuation” and GTL-You Know The Deal” Hmmm… that is oddly similar; shockingly so – I wonder where on earth they got the idea for “The Fitchuation”? Photos of the t-shirts in question are below. Now the shunned Situation is fighting back in court!
The Situation is asserting that despite Abercrombie advertising that he was offered a substantial amount dough if he gave up the brand, he was never actually offered that money at all and he is accusing the company of using him as a “marketing ploy” in the hopes to “draw attention to Abercrombie’s fashion line.”
And from now on, GTL officially stands for Gym, Tan, Lawsuit because The Situation is suing the company for violating his “trademarked slogans without permission,” claiming the t-shirts clearly infringe on his “trademarked Jersey Shore references.” Which, after all, is the nonsense that made him famous!
The lawsuit filed in Federal Court in Florida this Tuesday alleges Abercrombie “embarked on a worldwide advertising campaign using Sorrentino’s name, image and likeness to create brand awareness for its products by falsely claiming that [the company] had offered money to Sorrentino if he would stop wearing Defendant’s goods.”
Through his lawyers, The Situation contends that as a result of A&F’s “publicity campaign” they “profited off the use of a false affiliation with Sorrentino.” The suit also proclaims the retailer “wrongly used Sorrentino’s name, image and likeness for advertising purposes in violation of applicable law.” Oops — publicity stunt gone wrong A&F!
As a result of Abercrombie & Fitches’ blatant copying remarkably coincidental borrowing effort, The Situation is asking for a trial by jury, $1M in royalty payments and $3M in damages. Hey – according to Snooki he needs the money…
[Photo credit: DJDM / WENN.com]
THOUGHTS ON THE SITUATIONS SITUATION? DOES HE HAVE A RIGHT TO SUE? CAN YOU BELIEVE ABERCROMBIE THOUGHT THEY WOULD GET AWAY WITH THIS?!
