Anita Mui’s Brother Sues Film Company Over Copyright Infringement
A fitting tribute to Cantopop diva Anita Mui (梅艷芳), recent biopic Anita <梅艷芳> premiered in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong to positive reviews, as it showcased the iconic singer’s legendary life while evoking nostalgic memories for her fans, years after her death. However, Anita’s brother Peter Mui Kai-Ming (梅啟明) has reportedly filed a suit against Edko Films Ltd (安樂影片) – Anita’s film production company on November 2, for infringing copyright to two trademarks in the film.
Anita’s Mother: He Has Been “Blinded By Greed”
Suing Edko Films Ltd for copyright infringement, the brother of the late singer reiterated that he is the owner of two registered trademarks, namely Anita’s name in English and Chinese. He had apparently registered the names a year after her death in 2004, and has since renewed the application every decade.
While Anita’s mother, 98-year-old Tam Mei-kam (覃美金) had shared a good relationship with Anita’s brother, she claims she was unaware of the legal tussle initiated by him this time round, and said that the latter had not discussed the matter with her. Questioned about this, she had replied, “What is he up to? It’s nothing to do with him, why did [he] go and sue other [people]”. When asked if she would ring her son up to understand more about the situation, she responded, “I can’t stop him, he has been blinded by greed!”
Distant Ties with Family
Previously, the singer had revealed that she shared a distant relationship with her brother while she was closer to her elder sister Ann Mui (梅愛芳). Describing Ann as the bridge between herself and their mother, Anita had said “I don’t talk to my mom, until after Ann left, mom became the bridge facilitating communication between me and my mom, [I’d] find out more about [my] brother through mom’s words,”
After she attained fame, Anita’s household matters often made the newspaper headlines in Hong Kong and she would reveal that she had a distant relationship with her family. After her demise from cervical cancer in 2003, Anita’s will had decreed that her inheritance, estimated around $100 million HKD would go to a trust fund, and that a monthly allowance of $70,000 HKD be disbursed to her mother for her living expenses.
Despite this, the late singer’s mother and brother were unhappy and engaged in legal battles over her estate by challenging the validity of her will. Though she lost the lawsuit, she managed to get monthly sum increased to $120,000 HKD. She had also racked up huge litigation and attorney fees stemming from the lawsuit which had seven years and has likely spent most of the inheritance.
Source: ChinaPress, Trade Mark Search
this family (brother & mother) is trash, they will do anything for money…
both blinded by greed…
They’re total leeches and parasites. poor Anita must’ve had a difficult time with them while alive.
sorry not trash but worst…. scums of the hkg people
Not seen the movie yet. Did they use her full Chinese or English name at all in the movie? Could have got away with just using ‘Anita’ or her chinese name in short/nickname…
If you have seen the trailers, they use her full name in every format. I think he is just a chancer and I doubt very much her estate or trust hadn’t taken over the copyright of her name in all formats, as her management or record company would have already purchased her copyright for merchandise purposes. Think the mother already has received money for this or the estate has and the brother couldn’t get his hands on it. What sibling that has nothing to do with his sisters career or life when she was alive and after she has passed would have registered their dead sisters name, other than for financial gain.
I have seen trailers but can’t read Chinese and didn’t hear her full Chinese name. I can’t remember seeing her full English name either..
Doubt very much that the production company did not do any litigation before the filming and it also sounds like probably their mother had received money already for the production and didn’t give him anything, as she is denying she knows what he is doing and that he is greedy comment. His action is just pure greed and in fact he could have made money on the success of this movie by doing interviews, he is digging in to get more off his sister when he truly didn’t deserve any of it whilst she was alive and definitely doesn’t after her death. I guess he can sue as much as he likes but I wouldn’t think Anita Mui’s name in English or Chinese would not have already been the property of her estate, as her names copyright would have been registered whilst she was alive anyway it is normal practice as they would have been creating merchandise and other items to sell.
How can you just copyright someone else’s name…? Other than for media purposes this is a little bonkers.
$15k USD a month in living expenses sounds about okay. The mom lives in HK, one of the most expensive cities in the world. I think it’s on par with NY. $15k is about middle class, definitely not living extravagantly. As to the brother, he has thickfaced skin to profit off his sister after her death. It’s sickening.
pretty sure back then, its her brother that incited all the litigation thru her mum. Like all typical Asian parents, son is everything and parents will do all they could to help the son even if everyone tells them it is wrong.
Son probably disappointed her more than needed thru the years that she is now not agreeing with him.
What is worse than having no son? to have a useless one