Back in April, I wrote about how Woody Allen sued American Apparel for using his unauthorized image in an advertisement.

He initially tried to sue the company for $10 million for the unauthorized use of his photo, taken from the movie Annie Hall which featured him dressed up as a rabbi.

In the end, the lawsuit was settled without a full trial, with Woody being awarded five million dollars. Dov Charney, the founder of American Apparel, said this:

“Naturally there is some relief of not having to go through a trial but I also harbor a sense of remorse and sadness for not arguing an important issue regarding the First Amendment, particularly the ability of an individual or corporation to invoke the likeness of a public figure in a satiric and social statement.”

I think he’s a little confused. This wasn’t someone creating a LIKENESS of Woody Allen, it was his actual image. It would have been very simple to just seek out his permission first – it could have saved them a whole lot of money AND embarrassment.