Report: Hunger Games Studio Goes After Anti-Hunger Organization [View all]

[Ian David]

Report: Hunger Games Studio Goes After Anti-Hunger Organization

You probably haven't heard that there's a small independent movie — apparently based on a little-known series of books — called The Hunger Games that's getting a limited release this weekend. Well, the studio behind that film is trying to stop an anti-hunger group from cashing in on the Hunger Games name.

"Hunger Is Not a Game" is a creation of the Harry Potter Alliance's Imagine Better group, which has partnered with Oxfam to increase awareness about injustices in global food distribution and to get young people to sign on to Oxfam's GROW pledge.

On the project's website, it uses the Hunger Games books — especially the dystopian world in which food is doled out unequally between the different classes of citizens — as a way to demonstrate how this may not be all that dissimilar from the current situation with food distribution around the world.

Seems like a smart way to get young people to think about this information, maybe even engender some debate on the topic. But Lionsgate wants it all shut down because it believes this is hurting the Hunger Games brand.

ThinkProgress.org posts the following letter purportedly sent by a Lionsgate VP to the folks at Oxfam:

<snip>

As I mentioned in my phone message, Lionsgate has formed a partnership with two large organizations fighting hunger, the UN's World Food Program and Feeding America. We are encouraging fans to support this effort by going to www.wfp.org/hungergames.

What is not a part of the Lionsgate plan is the distortion of our Motion Picture title. That is what Oxfam has done with your "Hunger is not a Game" logo. And with the many website you have incorporated into your campaign. This is causing damage to Lionsgate and our marketing efforts.

We understand and support your cause and mission. We are on the same side. We are looking for an amicable resolution. For a start we request that you immediately remove any mention of "Hunger is not a Game" from all of your websites and its affiliates and stop using the slogan in your interviews and publicity or press releases. Additionally, please contact the undersigned so we can work out a mutually acceptable plan to go forward where we do not infringe on each other's rights.

More:
http://consumerist.com/2012/03/hunger-games-studio-goes-after-anti-hunger-charity.html