Hells Angels sue Disney over movie plans

Hells Angels has sued Walt Disney Co., claiming that a planned movie about a group of motorcycle riders called "Wild Hogs" infringes on its trademark name and skull logo.

A Disney spokesman said the suit was without merit.

"Wild Hogs," which has not yet begun filming, is a story about "a group of middle-aged wannabe bikers look(ing) for adventure out on the open road, where they encounter a chapter of the Hells Angels," according to the tag line on Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com).

In the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court of California on Wednesday, the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corp. said the characters in the movie are identified as members of the club and wear trademark logos, although in the suit the club said Disney had not given it a copy of the script.

The Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation was formed in 1948 in California's San Bernardino area and describes itself as a group of motorcycle enthusiasts.

Law enforcement officials have frequently linked the group to drug trafficking, racketeering and other criminal activities, but it was also recently paid $990,000 by the Santa Clara County for a botched raid of the club's property in 1998.