Daryl Hannah to Bike Maker: Stop Riding My Image

Actress sues electric-bike purveyor for using a pic of her riding their wares in its ads without permission

By Natalie Finn Sep 26, 2008 11:47 PMTags
Daryl HannahGian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse/ZUMAPress.com

UPDATE: Hannah settled up with Currie Technologies in November 2009. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
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Daryl Hannah has finally met an environmentally friendly company she doesn't like.

The ecoconscious actress has sued the makers of a hybrid electric bicycle for putting her picture on their promotional website and on the cover of a company catalog without her permission.

Per court documents filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Hannah's legal camp wrote to Currie Technologies Inc. in May, asking that a picture of her riding one of the company's bicycles, which implied that she endorsed the product, be removed from the company's site. (View the lawsuit.)

A partner from the equity firm that owns Currie's assets wrote back that Hannah's image would be removed from their website and all other marketing and promo materials "as soon as possible," but Hannah contends that her pic stayed in circulation until Aug. 25.

Again, no one ever paid Hannah for the privilege, according to the Splash star.

Hannah has "developed and cultivated her image and persona to create celebrity and universal recognition," and Currie has "without any right, title or authorization, misappropriated Plaintiff's valuable publicity rights and the resulting success and popularity of Plaintiff by illegally using her name, photograph and likenesses for the aforesaid commercial purposes," her complaint states.

Hannah is seeking at least $1 million in damages, plus whatever she would have received if the defendant had inked a deal for her endorsement and an injunction preventing any further use of her image in Currie's bike-peddling endeavors.