Canadian kickboxing movie

[Lisa]

http://www.twin-dragon.com/films/twinfilm2.htm

I just saw the trailer for it while watching one of their kickboxers' fights. It looks pretty awful.

These guys sued Miramax for $37 million over using their school's name for the Jackie Chan movie "Twin Dragons." There's a whole section about the lawsuit on their site. Look at this (the last sentence in the second paragraph):

http://www.twin-dragon.com/images/claim03.gif

"It also appears that the film is based upon or suggested by the lives of our clients."

Jackie Chan's "Twin Dragons" was about twin brothers who had never met. One was a concert violinist, the other a martial artist. I don't remember it having anything to do with some Irish guys who moved to Canada and became kickboxers. Pretty funny, anyway.

[tiger2dragon]

I agree the movie looks really bad but as a Canadian and I know you are too. I have to defend the right to their name and the name of their movie and it is loosely, very loosely based on the ban of full contact fighting in Ontario that lasted nearly 8 years because of our wimpy, government. The guys have got good schools and they put on some good fights. The one you say was probably one of their productions. They are one of the few guys around Ontario sponsoring fights anymore.

[dezhen2001]

sorry to go O/T i just cant believe that they tried to sue jackie chan because of that! LMAO

dawood

[Lisa]

"The one you say was probably one of their productions."

Yeah, it was. One of his girls was fighting for a world title. She won.

[Chang Style Novice]

D@mn near every city I've ever lived in had a twin dragons chinese restaurant.

[Silumkid]

I may be wrong on this, but wouldn't this copyright really only apply in the case of say, these brothers found out that there was another school called "Twin Dragons" rather than a movie or a book? I believe there are certain limits to this law...such as my old teacher founded the Red Dragon martial arts school. I seriously doubt he can sue the movie company that released the current Hannibal installment or the Jet Li knock-off movie "Legend of Red Dragon".

Think about what sort of precedent could be set if this frivolous lawsuit were to win...some old geezer whose name just happens to be Ronald McDonald sues McDonald's because their mascot and company name is based on his because he was a circus clown one time in his life for 6 months when he ran away from home. Ridiculous? I'm not so sure....we pay morons who spill coffee on themselves.

[Chang Style Novice]

Actually, McDonald's corporation did sue a very fine, very old restaurant in Scotland, run by the aristocratic McDonald family, who's living heir is named Ronald (and traditionally has been for centuries) called McDonald's.

I'm pretty sure they were laughed out of court.

[Silumkid]

No matter who the star is, I don't think these guys have much of a case.

First, the Jackie Chan Twin Dragons didn't just "come along"....that film has been out since 1991. If this film did such major damage to their schools and kickboxing shows, why has it taken over a decade to file a lawsuit? Also, if I remember right, the film did pretty well in Asia and Europe. There was no "flop" about it.

The Jackie Chan Twin Dragons and the twins' Twin Dragons already has a distinction with the subheading "The Right to Fight". The JC movie has no such subhead. There really is no reason to change the title, thus no extra expense incurred.

It seems to me like these guys are pretty much unheard of in the mass market and think they have found a way to try and get their movies carried by Miramax. Maybe Miramax should help these guys do some marketing. Then perhaps they will realize that crap won't sell no matter how much marketing is behind it.

[Lisa]

I agree that if they had exclusive rights to that name in North America, then they had every right to fight it in court. I just thought it was funny that they said it appeared that Jackie Chan's movie was based on their lives.