Theater Company Files Trademark Suit Against Amazon Over 'Off Campus' Episode
Brass Jar, the producer of Drunk Shakespeare shows, has sued Amazon over an episode of Prime Video's 'Off Campus' that allegedly used its trademarks without permission. The complaint seeks unspecified damages, including potential statutory damages of up to $2 million per counterfeit mark. The company also requests attorney fees and treble damages.
Brass Jar, a New York-based theatrical production company, filed the lawsuit over an episode of the Prime Video series "Off Campus," a young-adult romantic drama centered on ice hockey. The company claims the episode improperly incorporated its Drunk Shakespeare branding without authorization. The legal filing invokes federal trademark law, specifically Section 1117 of the Lanham Act, which permits enhanced monetary awards. Brass Jar is pursuing unspecified damages but explicitly references the possibility of statutory awards reaching $2 million per counterfeit mark, alongside requests for attorney fees and treble damages. The case highlights how streaming productions may inadvertently collide with established live-performance brands when depicting fictional entertainment settings.
This lawsuit could signal heightened trademark vigilance among live-theater companies as streaming platforms increasingly depict fictional productions and venues. If successful, it may encourage other performance groups to scrutinize how their brands appear in scripted content, potentially leading to more licensing agreements or clearer on-screen disclaimers. Conversely, it could raise production costs and creative friction for showrunners seeking authentic settings. The outcome may clarify how trademark law applies to incidental or background use in fictional narratives, affecting both content creators and brand owners navigating this evolving legal terrain.