DirecTV Asked How to Say 'Not Funny' In Russian

Posted by Eriq Gardner

Some of the most memorable commercials in the past few years have been the series of the DirecTV spots that spoof films like "Misery," "Major League," and "Star Trek" by overdubbing dialogue about DirecTV programming in place of the actual movie dialogue.

You'd think a company that does that sort of thing would be supersensitive about intellectual property rights. But one comedian, Evgeni Petrosyan (left), is calling foul. In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in New York, Petrosyan claims that DirecTV spots that promoted its Russian-language programming violated his publicity rights.

Petrosyan, who compares his fame in the complaint to Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Woody Allen and Jerry Seinfeld, wants more than $10 million for this breach. No joke.