It’s Weinstein vs. Warner Brothers Over Use of the Title ‘The Butler’

LOS ANGELES â€"Never ones to avoid controversy, especially when it comes to selling a movie, Harvey Weinstein and the Weinstein Company now have an attention-getting fight over Lee Daniels’s coming film “The Butler” on their hands. Warner Brothers had objected to the title, citing rights to a similarly titled short from 1916, and won in industry arbitration this week. Now Weinsteinâ€" according to a flurry of press reports, including those on the Deadline.com site â€" has asked its lawyer David Boies to appeal or take further legal action.

A Warner spokesman declined to comment, and queries to Weinstein and Mr. Boies drew no response. The film is set to open on Aug. 16.

Mr. Weinstein and his various companies have previously become embroiled in well-publicized controversies surrounding the release of a number of films, inluding “Priest,” “Kids,” “Fahrenheit 9/11,” “Shut Up and Sing,” “Bully,” “Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” “Sicko,” “The Tillman Story,” “Blue Valentine” and “Silver Linings Playbook.”