Los Angeles-based New Line Cinema last week was forced to drop the word "Goldmember" from the title of its upcoming "Austin Powers" sequel after rival Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer claimed it infringed on the copyright of 1964 James Bond release, "Goldfinger."
The studios kicked their beef over to The Motion Picture Association of America for arbitration. The MPAA, which approves titles and promotional materials in addition to supplying ratings for movies, ruled that "Goldmember" did infringe on the classic film and was inadmissible as a title.
MGM says it would not drop its dispute "in the absence of a substantial cash license payment by New Line at levels comparable to what the Bond films customarily command from promotional partners" in a statement issued Friday.
New Line issued a statement saying it was "disappointed" with the MPAA's decision, then began pulling trailers and P-O-P from 11,000 theaters and developing new marketing collateral. (A spot on Sunday night's Super Bowl broadcast did not use the offending word.) The third installment of the spy spoof franchise is due out July 26.
This isn't the first time the two studios have clashed over "Powers." When MGM began complaining in 1999 about the title of the second Austin Powers flick, "The Spy Who Shagged Me" (which played on MGM's "The Spy Who Loved Me"), New Line agreed to run MGM trailers before the film.
