Duke University is accusing HBO’s White Lotus series of using its brand without permission in the current third season and of damaging its reputation through how it’s portrayed.
The most notable scene shows a character wearing a Duke shirt while holding a gun and “contemplating” suicide.
Frank Tramble, Duke’s Vice President for Communications, Marketing, and Public Relations, told Bloomberg that White Lotus uses the Duke logo in scenes “that are concerning, do not reflect our values or who we are, and simply go too far.”
Artists are allowed to use trademarks for artistic purposes under the U.S. Constitution.
He added, “Suicide is the second leading cause of death on college campuses. As images from the series are widely shared on social media, we use our trademark to promote mental health awareness and remind people that help is available.”
This isn’t the first time a company has raised concerns over a TV show. In 2021, fitness bike company Peloton was upset when a character on And Just Like That (a sequel to Sex and the City) was shown dying from a heart attack after using one of its machines. Peloton stated that while it had approved the use of its bike, it was unaware of the context.
