Munck Wilson Mandala (MWM) is pleased to announce a significant victory for its clients in long-running litigation involving the alleged copyright claims surrounding “Eleanor,” the fictional vehicle featured in the Gone in 60 Seconds film franchise. After years of contentious litigation, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California awarded MWM’s clients $1,370,000 in attorneys’ fees, representing a complete recovery of fees incurred at both the trial and appellate levels.
The litigation, which spanned decades of aggressively asserted claims against exotic car manufacturers represented by MWM, centered on whether “Eleanor” could be afforded the same level of character copyright protection as iconic vehicles such as the Batmobile. As detailed in MWM’s prior coverage of the case, the court ultimately rejected those claims, delivering a decisive outcome for the firm’s clients.
MWM partner Tony Handal led the trial team to a decisive victory at the district court level, successfully dismantling plaintiff’s claims. The win was later upheld on appeal, with MWM partner Marina Bogorad securing affirmance before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
The recovery of attorneys’ fees proved to be a hard-fought battle in its own right. Initially met with skepticism by the trial court and rejected at the appellate level, MWM persisted in advocating for full compensation on behalf of its clients. Both courts ultimately reversed course, recognizing the strength of MWM’s position.
In his opinion, Judge Mark C. Scarsi highlighted the firm’s advocacy, expressly rejecting arguments that MWM’s billing rates were excessive in comparison to opposing counsel. Instead, the court noted that “the rate differential is consistent with the quality of the respective counsels’ advocacy,” underscoring the superior representation delivered by the MWM team.
The matter was also supported by principal attorney Georgiana Nikias and senior associate Reed Shankwiler at various points of the long journey to the complete success achieved by the firm.
This result reinforces MWM’s national reputation for excellence in high-stakes intellectual property and complex commercial litigation, as well as its commitment to securing not only victories on the merits, but full and fair recoveries for its clients.
For more information about the case and its implications, please visit: https://www.munckwilson.com/news-insights/character-copyrightability-eleanor-vs-batmobile/
