Tom Cruise's Global Dilemma
Jan. 2 2009, Published 3:09 p.m. ET
Teachers have taught since the beginning of time that copying is not allowed, but apparently Tom Cruise and his production company, United Artists, weren't listening too carefully: a man who owns an Adolf Hitler artifact featured prominently in Valkyrie is upset that the star didn't get permission to replicate it for use in the movie.
Robert Pritkin, who is also the author of "Rice-a-Roni, the San Francisco treat" song and has a $40 million art collection, bought a globe that once belonged to Hitler, and had its image copyrighted as well in 2007, according to Page Six. The globe's likeness i featured often in Valkyrie, by way of a replicate copy,
"Pritikin believes the globe should be used as a teaching tool so the lessons of Hitler's nightmare can keep history from repeating itself," Page Six quotes investigator Paul Barresi as saying. Another investigator, Dan Hanks, says, "Tom Cruise's use of the globe's likeness without our client's permission was likely just an oversight. We're confident this will all be quickly resolved out of court."
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"I think it would be a wonderful gesture of good will on Tom Cruise's part to purchase the globe along with all of the other Hitler artifacts owned by Mr. Pritikin and donate them to the Wiesenthal Center," Barresi said.