Dumb Lawsuits

If there’s one cardinal rule of lawsuiting, it’s don’t mess with Coca-Cola. They’ve got the three things that make them an unmovable force of litigation: a load of cash, a load of lawyers and a load of lawyers made out of cash. Unfortunately, some Italian lawmakers learned that lesson the hard way.

ROME, Italy (Variety) — The Coca Cola Company has taken legal action against producers of a spirituality themed Italian film set in present day Israel in which Jesus drinks a can of Coke in the desert.

Titled “7 Km da Gerusalemme” (Seven Kilometers From Jerusalem) pic centers around a Milanese ad exec having a midlife crisis who makes a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

In the desert, near the biblical Emmaus, the Italo ad man gives Jesus a ride on his Jeep, hands him a Coke, and, while Jesus is quenching his thirst, says: “My God, what a testimonial!”

Jesus endorsing Coke. You know why Coca-Cola’s suing. They’re jealous they didn’t think of it first.

The film was scheduled to open Easter weekend but because of the lawsuit, the film has been pulled. Hopefully Jesus can get together with the Easter Bunny and egg their bottling plant in Atlanta.

The filmmaker said unless they can convince Coca-Cola to change their minds, they’ll have to re-edit the film around the missing scene. I hope that doesn’t happen. No God fearing man would believe Jesus drinks Fresca.