That scene caused Louis Vuitton to get their LV printed panties in a twist. Alan’s bag was a knock off, which displeased Mr. Vuitton. They sued Warner Bros. because of what they felt was a trademark violation. Last week, a judge dismissed this case because it was dumb but also for some smart reasons. He explained that “as long as the defendant’s use of the mark is (1) ‘artistically relevant’ to the work and (2) not ‘explicitly misleading’ as to the source or content of the work,†then they’re under their First Amendment rights. Then for fun the super cool judged dropped some sweet, sweet film analysis:
Alan’s terse remark to Teddy to “[be] [c]areful†because his bag “is a Lewis Vuitton†comes across as snobbish only because the public signifies Louis Vuitton—to which the Diophy bag looks confusingly similar—with luxury and a high society lifestyle. His remark also comes across as funny because he mispronounces the French “Louis†like the English “Lewis,†and ironic because he cannot correctly pronounce the brand name of one of his expensive possessions, adding to the image of Alan as a socially inept and comically misinformed character. This scene also introduces the comedic tension between Alan and Teddy that appears throughout the Film.
Zing!(?) Hey Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr., what are you up to later? Do you want to go see Seeking a Friend for the End of the World and discuss how the film blends the romantic comedy, apocalypse, and road trip genres? No? Ok, how about we get a beer and talk about this idea I had for a pilot about judge who is also a film critic called “Judge, Jury, and Film Connoisseur.†No, again?