The hit movie "Back to the Future" won't get to celebrate its 30th anniversary this year without a little controversy.
A legal dispute is going on over the car used by Michael J. Fox in the classic 1985 film. John DeLorean's creation co-starred in the movie with Fox as it was used to transport his character Marty McFly back in time to the 1950s. The car was also used in the 1989 sequel which took Marty to 2015, a time that was supposed to featured flying skateboards and self-drying coats.
DeLorean's widow, Sally, is claiming that the Texas-based DeLorean Motor Company has been improperly using the DeLorean name to sell hats, key chains, notebooks and other items and has illegally licensed the name and images to other companies including Nike, Apple and Urban Outfitters, according to Philly.com.
The lawsuit claims that the Texas company "has improperly and illegally appropriated for its own use Mr. DeLorean's legacy, including the DeLorean Identity, together with intellectual property," the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit also claims the company wants to make an electric version of the vehicle, would be illegal because the car's design belongs to John DeLorean's estate.
DeLorean's wife is looking for the company to stop using its trademarks along with damages and company profits earned from their use, according to Philly.com.
The Texas company has denied all claims so far. A conference has been scheduled for next month.
After leaving General Motors, John DeLorean created the DMC 12, or "the DeLorean," which featured gull-wing doors and unpainted stainless-steel exterior. Just 9,000 of the cars were made before DeLorean's company went bankrupt in the early 1980s. The car's following received a boost after landing a role in the first two "Back to the Future" movies.
The Texas company has supposedly been making and selling DeLorean cars made from original factory parts it purchased in the original bankruptcy proceeding, William Mead, a New Jersey-based attorney representing DeLorean Motor Company, said in an email to Philly.com.
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