Report: Hunger Games Studio Goes After Anti-Hunger Organization

[Ian David]

Report: Hunger Games Studio Goes After Anti-Hunger Organization

You probably haven't heard that there's a small independent movie — apparently based on a little-known series of books — called The Hunger Games that's getting a limited release this weekend. Well, the studio behind that film is trying to stop an anti-hunger group from cashing in on the Hunger Games name.

"Hunger Is Not a Game" is a creation of the Harry Potter Alliance's Imagine Better group, which has partnered with Oxfam to increase awareness about injustices in global food distribution and to get young people to sign on to Oxfam's GROW pledge.

On the project's website, it uses the Hunger Games books — especially the dystopian world in which food is doled out unequally between the different classes of citizens — as a way to demonstrate how this may not be all that dissimilar from the current situation with food distribution around the world.

Seems like a smart way to get young people to think about this information, maybe even engender some debate on the topic. But Lionsgate wants it all shut down because it believes this is hurting the Hunger Games brand.

ThinkProgress.org posts the following letter purportedly sent by a Lionsgate VP to the folks at Oxfam:

<snip>

As I mentioned in my phone message, Lionsgate has formed a partnership with two large organizations fighting hunger, the UN's World Food Program and Feeding America. We are encouraging fans to support this effort by going to www.wfp.org/hungergames.

What is not a part of the Lionsgate plan is the distortion of our Motion Picture title. That is what Oxfam has done with your "Hunger is not a Game" logo. And with the many website you have incorporated into your campaign. This is causing damage to Lionsgate and our marketing efforts.

We understand and support your cause and mission. We are on the same side. We are looking for an amicable resolution. For a start we request that you immediately remove any mention of "Hunger is not a Game" from all of your websites and its affiliates and stop using the slogan in your interviews and publicity or press releases. Additionally, please contact the undersigned so we can work out a mutually acceptable plan to go forward where we do not infringe on each other's rights.

More:
http://consumerist.com/2012/03/hunger-games-studio-goes-after-anti-hunger-charity.html

[sharp_stick]

1. Sounds like Lionsgate

has a pretty compelling case here. Oxfam is usually a lot more media savvy than this, hopefully they can turn this into a positive outcome.

[customerserviceguy]

3. How is this any different

from the Susan G. Komen organization claiming ownership of the word "cure" or the color pink?

Maybe the cease-and-desist letters need to be answered with kiss-my-ass letters.

[sharp_stick]

6. Well it's different

in that Oxfam was using an obvious mockup of the Hunger games logo and poster and was also using direct line referencing to both the book and the movie.

[Beaverhausen]

2. Link to the HP Alliance page about this campaign

http://thehpalliance.org/imagine-better/hunger-is-not-a-game/


this alliance seems to be a very cool non-profit organization.

[randome]

4. I don't think they should be doing this.

But 'you probably haven't heard'? The writer probably does not have teenage daughters!

Plus the movie has been heavily promoted for weeks now. It's going to be quite the money maker.

[Logical]

5. LOL....."apparently based on a little-known series of books".......

It is currently the #1 book on amazon.com.

It was on The New York Times list for over 100 consecutive weeks!

[Chan790]

7. I think that was meant to be tongue in cheek. n/t