LONDON – Would a red-soled stiletto by any other name than Christian Louboutin look as sweet?
Certainly not for the luxury shoe designer, who passionately defended his court battle to protect his famous glossy red-soled shoes Monday.
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Louboutin was in London to open a museum exhibition marking his brand’s 20th anniversary, talking to reporters about his inspirations and his rise to global success. But he also lashed out at fellow French fashion house Yves Saint Laurent and its parent company PPR, whom he is suing for trademark infringement in a U.S. federal appeals court. A panel of judges has yet to issue a decision.
“What PPR does via Yves Saint Laurent is breaking my trademark, which I find incredibly offensive,” Louboutin told The Associated Press.
Louboutin’s lawyers have compared his shoe trademark to a similar one held by Tiffany & Co. for blue boxes, sparking a wider debate on whether a designer can own a color.
The 49-year-old designer argued that his rivals are wrong to accuse him of trying to monopolize the color red.
“I do not own a color. I own a specific color in a specific place,” he said of his distinctive soles.
Baby No. 2 for Gyllenhaal, hubby
New York – Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard have welcomed a second daughter.
Gyllenhaal’s publicist said in an email Monday that the actress gave birth to Gloria Ray on April 19 in New York. No more details were provided.
The couple had their first daughter, Ramona, in 2006. They got married in 2009.
The 34-year-old Gyllenhaal has appeared in films including “The Dark Knight” and “Secretary.” She earned an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress for 2009’s “Crazy Heart.”
The 41-year-old Sarsgaard has been seen in movies such has “Shattered Glass,” “Jarhead” and “Green Lantern.”Lawsuit claiming lies by book author is dismissed
Lawsuit claiming lies by book author is dismissed
HELENA, Mont. – A federal judge on Monday dismissed a civil lawsuit against author Greg Mortenson, calling claims “flimsy and speculative” that the humanitarian and his publisher lied in his best-selling “Three Cups of Tea” and “Stones Into Schools” to boost book sales.
The lawsuit by four people who bought Mortenson’s books claimed they were cheated out of about $15 each because the books were labeled as nonfiction accounts of how Mortenson came to build schools in central Asia. They had asked U.S. District Judge Sam Haddon to order Mortenson and publisher Penguin Group (USA) to refund all the money from Mortenson’s book sales.
The readers from Montana, California and Illinois filed the lawsuit after “60 Minutes” and author Jon Krakauer reported last year that Mortenson fabricated parts of those books. The plaintiffs said Mortenson, co-author David Oliver Relin, Penguin and Central Asia Institute were involved in a fraud and racketeering conspiracy to build Mortenson into a false hero to sell books and raise money for CAI, the charity Mortenson co-founded.
Haddon wrote in his ruling that their racketeering allegations “are fraught with shortcomings” and the plaintiffs’ “overly broad” claims that they bought the books because they were supposed to be true were not supported in the lawsuit.
Sitcom struggling, so Whitney tries talk
LOS ANGELES – Whitney Cummings’ NBC sitcom “Whitney” may have been a critical and ratings disappointment (it hasn’t yet been renewed for a second season), but that doesn’t appear to be slowing the comedian down. She’s set to launch a weekly talk show, “Love You, Mean It With Whitney Cummings,” which will air Wednesdays in the fall along with “The Soup.”
The show is being described as Cummings’ open forum to discuss her favorite topics, which include pop culture and celebrity happenings, life, relationships, sex and more. She’s even getting a talk show sidekick, stand-up comedian Julian McCullough.
“This show gives me a chance to get back to my stand-up roots,” Cummings said.
If Cummings’ show seems similar to the one by E!’s current late-night talk show queen, Chelsea Handler, it’s understandable. Cummings began as a regular on Handler’s show as a panelist, discussing … pop culture and celebrity happenings, life, relationships and sex.
– From news service reports
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