Andretti Wins Lawsuit Over Name Usage

Mario Andretti won a court battle to prevent an auto parts supplier from quoting the famed race car driver to promote its products, but Andretti won't get any money, a federal judge recently ruled. In March 2003, Andretti filed suit against California-based Borla Enterprises, a supplier of high-performance exhaust systems and catalytic converters, claiming the company wrongly used his words in an advertisement.

DETROIT —

From MEMA Industry News

Mario Andretti won a court battle to prevent an auto parts supplier from quoting the famed race car driver to promote its products, but Andretti won’t get any money, a federal judge recently ruled. In March 2003, Andretti filed suit against California-based Borla Enterprises, a supplier of high-performance exhaust systems and catalytic converters, claiming the company wrongly used his words in an advertisement.

Despite knowing about a four-year deal Andretti signed in November 2001 to plug products from Borla rival Car Sound Exhaust System Inc., Borla ran advertisements touting a June 2001 Andretti interview in which he praised a Borla product. The suit was filed in Detroit because many of the publications are based in southeast Michigan.

Borla had offered $15,000 to settle the case and agreed to a permanent ban on using the Andretti quotation, but Andretti rejected the deal. U.S. District Judge Robert H. Cleland, noting that Borla agreed not to use the 2001 quote, ruled that Andretti wasn’t entitled to any money and dismissed the suit.

_______________________________________

Click here to view the rest of today’s headlines.