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This is special. The mayor of a Turkish town called Batman said he will explore legal options to sue Christopher Nolan, director The Dark Knight and Batman Begins, for using the town's name.
It apparently took half a dozen films to awaken the town’s ambitions,
or, as is reportedly the case, a “foreign journalist” who alerted the
mayor to the possible claim. “The royalty of the name ‘Batman’
belongs to us,” the mayor, Hüseyin Kalkan, told a Turkish news agency. “There
is only one Batman in the world. The American producers used the name
of our city without informing us.”
We never made it to law school, but we're pretty sure we know where this one is headed. The
sleepy Turkish town is in the midst of some troubled years,
including an epidemic of joblessness and suicide, so this story isn’t
as funny as it might have been. It’s actually more than a little sad.
Related links:
News: Christopher Nolan says he's tentative on Dark Knight sequel
News: The Dark Knight returns to theaters in Jan. for Oscar push
Review: The Dark Knight
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They may have to sue Thanksgiving for the misuse of their country name as well.....
What???? Firstly, Christopher Nolan didn't create the Batman character, he just made it wayyyyy better. The creators are Bob Kane and Bill Finger who work for DC Comics, so if they wanna sue anyone, that's where to start.
Secondly, yeah I totally agree with JpusaColleen, counter-claim!!
And thirdly, I just looked up the town Batman in Turkey, and it says the town was first founded in the 1950's,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman,_Turkey#History_and_demographics
DC's Batman was created in 1939,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman
over 10 years prior, so up yours Hüseyin Kalkan!! And whoever the reporter was who first suggested the claim... you're an idiot!!
Actually it's the oil refinery that was established in the 1950s, not the Turkish town in question.
But either way, we can all agree that the mere thought of a lawsuit is beyond stupid. The only reason I can see is to get publicity for their tourism industry and generate money for a town that is struggling economically.
http://www.turkeyforyou.com/travel_turkey_batman
Because like it or not, most of us would have to admit we'd have never heard of this town if it wasn't for this silly lawsuit threat.