Reno, Nevada- A Reno filmmaker is selling a video parody he calls the “Ashley Olson Sex Tape,” and that has representatives of the Olsen twins’ up in arms and their lawyer ordering the filmmaker to shut down his website.
22-year-old filmmaker Chris Cash believes once someone logs onto his site, no reasonable person would think he’s defaming celebrity Ashley Olsen.
Ashley Olsen’s attorney, Gregory V. Redlitz, has a different opinion. He says Cash is guilty of trademark infringement and unauthorized commercial use of her name and likeness
On Cash’s site, www.ashleyolsonsextape.com, you won’t find Ashley Olsen’s picture, in fact, the last name “Olsen” is spelled “Olson.”
And as for a sex tape, Cash says you won’t find that on his website either. “The movie is about trying to make a sex tape with a character called Ashley Olson.”
Cash says the tape is not about thee Ashley Olsen, but a different person all together. And Cash says there are a lot of people that have similar names. “Ashley Olson is a common name.”
Cash says he created the 15-minute parody with his friends in Reno and thought the title would drive people to his Internet site. “I mean maybe when they see the title, they’ll think ‘wow, what’s that,’ but once they see the site it’s apparent it’s not pornography.”
Maybe not, but when the “Globe” tabloid latched onto the story, the phony sex tape got a little more attention than its’ filmmaker wanted.
Ashley Olsen’s publicist Michael Pagnotta says the website is, “Juvenile, pathetic and silly,” and says Cash “Isn’t fooling anyone.”
When asked if Ashley Olsen has heard of the film, Pagnotta said, “She has better things to do than to respond to fraudulent material.”
But Redlitz is definitely responding, and Olsen’s management company, Dualstar Entertainment, sent a letter to Cash accusing him of trademark infringement, false advertising, and unauthorized commercial use of name and likeness.
Redlitz is ordering Cash to remove the website by Saturday or face a lawsuit.
Cash says he has no choice but to comply. “I can’t fight it. They have billions of dollars and legal teams.”
Cash made his short film on a $1,500 dollar budget and says he may just change the title in order to keep selling the film.