DGA RETURNS FIRE IN FILM EDITING SUIT CLEANFLICKS' EDITING 'WRONG'.Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer The Directors Guild of America on Friday fired back against a lawsuit by a Denver video franchise which sued 16 high-profile movie directors as part of its effort to get a legal ruling on its practice of editing popular movies. The lawsuit, filed this month by CleanFlicks of Colorado LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol. LLC - Logical Link Control and Robert Huntsman, an Idaho lawyer seeking to patent on electronic home-editing technology, asks the court for an opinion on the legality of its practice of cutting out sex, violence and profanity Irreverence towards sacred things; particularly, an irreverent or blasphemous use of the name of God. Vulgar, irreverent, or coarse language. The use of certain profane or obscene language on the radio or television is a federal offense, but in other situations, profanity . In a counterclaim A claim by a defendant opposing the claim of the plaintiff and seeking some relief from the plaintiff for the defendant. A counterclaim contains assertions that the defendant could have made by starting a lawsuit if the plaintiff had not already begun the action. filed in U.S. District Court in Denver, the DGA DGA Directors Guild of America (movie directors union) DGA Délégation Générale pour l'Armement (France) DGA Directeur-Grootaandeelhouder (Dutch: Managing Director and Major Shareholder) and its director plaintiffs are asking the court to grant a permanent injunction permanent injunction n. a final order of a court that a person or entity refrain from certain activities permanently or take certain actions (usually to correct a nuisance) until completed. to stop CleanFlicks and similar companies from distributing ``unauthorized'' versions of feature films. ``What these companies are doing is wrong, plain and simple,'' said DGA President Martha Coolidge. ``It is wrong to cut scenes from a film - just as it is to rip pages from a book - simply because we don't like the way something was portrayed or said, then resell it with the original title and creator's name still on it.'' Scott Mikulecky, the attorney representing CleanFlicks and Huntsman, said Friday that his clients are not seeking a monetary award but a judicial determination to decide which method of altering movies for private viewing is permissible. The suit was filed in anticipation of legal action from the DGA against the editing companies that are getting increasing attention and a growing customers for their edited movies. ``We just think people have the right to watch a movie edited to reflect their sensibilities,'' Mikulecky said. ``I don't think the choice is take it or leave it. It is labeled on the box that it is edited. We are not fooling anyone.'' The guild, which represents more than 12,000 members, is asking the court to allow it to represent the interests of the directors named in the suit as well as its entire membership. The guild also seeks to expand its counterclaims to include other companies besides CleanFlicks that also edit or alter films for commerce including Clean Cut Cinemas; Family Safe Media; EditMyMovies; Family Flix, USA LLC; and Play It Clean Video. The DGA states that the companies are in violation of the Lanham Act The Lanham Act of 1946, also known as the Trademark Act (15 U.S.C.A. § 1051 et seq., ch. 540, 60 Stat. 427 [1988 & Supp. V 1993]), is a federal statute that regulates the use of Trademarks in commercial activity. , a federal statute that prohibits false advertising, trademark infringement Trademark infringement is a violation of the exclusive rights attaching to a trademark without the authorization of the trademark owner or any licensees (provided that such authorization was within the scope of the license). and unfair competition. It has been applied to protect an artist's right not to be associated with an unauthorized, edited version of his or her work. In addition, the guild is seeking to bring in the motion picture studios as necessary parties because they are copyright holders of films. ``It is wrong to circumvent the studios, who are the copyright holders, and the director, who is the film's creator - all in the name of turning a profit,'' Coolidge said. ``It is unethical, it is shameful, and the DGA will aggressively pursue these claims.'' The 16 directors named as defendants in the original lawsuit, all of whom will be represented by the DGA, are Robert Altman, Michael Apted, Taylor Hackford, Curtis Hanson, Norman Jewison Noun 1. Norman Jewison - Canadian filmmaker (born in 1926) Jewison , John Landis, Michael Mann, Phillip Noyce, Sydney Pollack, Robert Redford, Martin Scorsese, Brad Silberling, Steven Soderbergh, Steven Spielberg, Betty Thomas and Irwin Winkler Winkler may refer to:
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