MÖTLEY CRÜE Bassist Awarded $600,000 In VANS Lawsuit
February 9, 2005MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx got some good news late Wednesday (Feb. 9) when the jury reached a verdict in his favor in his case against the Vans shoe company, according to Celebrity Justice. Sixx was awarded $600,000 for the commercial use of his likeness without his permission.
Sixx, whose real name is Franklin C. Feranna, claimed in the lawsuit filed in September 2003 that the defendants used photographs of him with pro skater Tony Trujillo at a San Francisco ceremony organized by Thrasher magazine and sponsored by Vans.
Sixx said he agreed to present Trujillo with a "Skater of the Year" award at the ceremony on Dec. 7, 2002, because he knew Trujillo was a MÖTLEY CRÜE fan.
The musician said he was surprised to see photos taken at the ceremony in an ad for Trujillo's signature Vans shoes. The photo also showed a marquee with the words "Thrasher Magazine's Skater of the Year Tony Trujillo."
The lawsuit said the caption above one of the photos, "Live Fast, Die Young," was "somewhat reminiscent of the title of MÖTLEY CRÜE's first album, 'Too Fast For Love'."
It said Sixx had also been informed that Vans and Thrasher products bearing his image were displayed at skate parks.
The lawsuit noted that Sixx had his own clothing line, "N. Sixx by Dragonfly", that sought out the same youthful consumers targeted by Vans.
The lawsuit said the ad appeared in Revolver, Maxim, Stuff, FHM, Blender, and Alternative Press.
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