Masry to Represent Ahmanson Foes

Attorney Ed Masry, whose legal victory over a major utility helped inspire a hit film, has agreed to represent opponents of the Ahmanson Ranch housing project in a threatened lawsuit by the developer.

Masry, the employer of real-life legal investigator Erin Brockovich, said Monday that his Westlake Village firm, Masry & Vititoe, would represent the nonprofit group Save Open Space on a pro bono basis.

The group is facing a possible lawsuit over the name of its Website--https://www.ahmanson.org.

Last week, developer Ahmanson Land Co. warned the group that unless the Web site was dismantled by today, the company would file suit in federal court for trademark infringement, unfair business competition and cyber piracy.

Masry said the site was created to spread information about the controversial 3,050-unit development near the Ventura-Los Angeles county line and is not being used for commercial purposes.

He also said the word Ahmanson is not famous enough to qualify for trademark protection and is being used by others, including the Ahmanson Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.

“What this really boils down to is a defense of the SOS’ 1st Amendment rights to get the truth out about the development,” Masry said.