Village People opposing TV promotion.
A lawyer for the Village People said a British TV network is facing a legal battle for a TV promotion featuring the music group’s trademarked costumes.
Attorney John Giacobbi, who is representing the “YMCA” group, said the legal battle is based on a promotion featuring British chef Jamie Oliver dressed as a construction worker, a cowboy, a traffic cop, a Native American, a sailor and a biker, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said Saturday.
The costumes used in the promotion are part of the “Macho Man” group’s performances and are trademarked.
Giacobbi said in a letter to Channel 4 that “the Village People are still a huge, multimillion-dollar global business.”
Channel 4 responded to the group’s allegations over the “Jamie’s American Road Trip” promotion by maintaining the advertisement did not violate copyright law.
“We are confident that the promotional campaign for Jamie’s American Road Trip does not infringe any copyright/trademark rights which the Village People may have,” the network said in a statement. “No parties have received a formal legal claim from the Village People and, if one is received, it will be vigorously defended.”
