Reuters reports that Paris Hilton is suing Hallmark over a card that shows Paris Hilton as a waitress. The text on the card reads, "Don't touch that, it's hot. What's hot? That's hot." The lawsuit says Hallmark used Paris Hilton's trademarked phrase "That's hot" without permission and also violated Hilton's right to privacy by using her likeness on the greeting card.
Hilton, 26, is suing for an injunction against the U.S. greeting card company and for damages in excess of $100,000, according to the suit filed late on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
Kansas City-based Hallmark Cards said the card was part of a satirical series that parodied celebrities and politicians.
According to the lawsuit, Hilton's face is superimposed over a cartoon of a waitress serving food to a patron with the dialogue "Don't touch that, it's hot. What's hot? That's hot."
It says the card was selling in the United States for $2.49.
The suit says that Hallmark failed to obtain approval from the hotel heiress for using her image and had damaged her rights to privacy and publicity.
Smoking Gun has an entry with a copy of the lawsuit. A Hallmark representative told TMZ that "Some of Hallmark's new humor greeting cards are parodies of today's most popular celebrities and politicians. These cards take a satirical look at news and gossip surrounding these public figures, including Paris Hilton, and we do not believe Hallmark has violated any of Ms. Hilton's rights."
Another one of Hallmark's Paris Hilton cards from its Shoebox line features Paris Hilton in jail. The text on the card reads, "The Really, Really, Really, Really Simple Life." You can see the card here in an earlier post. The greating card companies have been trying to produce more current events, pop culture and humorous cards lately to compete with the rapidly growing online greetings market.
