Golden Globes Sues Foundation in Escalating Legal Battle

Jay Penske’s Golden Globes LLC has filed a lawsuit against the Golden Globe Foundation, a nonprofit organization largely composed of former Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) members. The suit alleges that the foundation has been using the Golden Globe name and its associated intellectual property without authorization.

Penske’s Golden Globes LLC asserts it became the sole owner of the Golden Globe trademark and related intellectual property after acquiring it from the embattled HFPA in June 2023. According to the lawsuit, discussions regarding a licensing agreement for the name with the newly formed foundation failed to reach an accord on acceptable terms. Despite this, the foundation allegedly continued to use the Golden Globe name for grants, events, promotional materials, and even began developing merchandise.

This legal action is seen as a response to a federal complaint filed in July by former HFPA members. That suit accused Penske and former Golden Globe Foundation CEO Gregory Goeckner of conspiring to acquire the Golden Globes and dismantle the HFPA. The dispute intensified in July when Raffi Boghosian, a former HFPA member, allegedly led a coup that ousted Goeckner from his position as interim CEO of the Golden Globe Foundation.

Penske's suit claims that under Boghosian's leadership, the foundation terminated Goeckner and outside legal counsel while trademark licensing negotiations were ongoing. It further alleges that Boghosian then authorized an expansion of the foundation's use of the Golden Globe name and that the foundation and the former HFPA are coordinating their actions against Penske and Todd Boehly’s Eldridge.

The lawsuit seeks an injunction to prevent the foundation from using the Golden Globe name, as well as the foundation's profits, potentially trebled damages, and attorneys' fees. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court in the Central District of California.

A spokesperson for the Golden Globe Foundation, Nate Miller, stated that the foundation was created as part of the same deal that sold the Golden Globes to Penske's company. Miller noted that the company initially promoted the foundation's name and that the Golden Globes president had publicly thanked Penske Media's Robb Report for supporting the foundation. He characterized the lawsuit as a “transparent attempt to pressure the Foundation, and we will answer it in court.”

In an email to foundation members, Boghosian stated, “Now that company, owned by Penske Media and Todd Boehly’s Eldridge, is suing a nonprofit that supports schools and press freedom over the same name it once celebrated.”

Adding another layer of complexity, the former HFPA members had initially named the Golden Globe Foundation as a defendant in their July lawsuit. However, sources indicate that the HFPA quietly dropped the foundation from its suit last month. This move is seen by some as an effort by the former HFPA members to unite against Penske.

The legal saga surrounding the Golden Globes has been ongoing since a 2021 boycott against the HFPA due to its lack of diversity and ethical concerns.