Chris Farley’s family settles federal lawsuit with Trek Bicycle
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Comedian Chris Farley in 1990. Farley’s family has filed a federal lawsuit against Trek Bicycle for naming its fat-tired bikes Farley. The lawsuit alleges that the Wisconsin-based bike company misappropriated Farley’s name and traded on his “fat guy” brand of comedy in 2013 when it gave the Farley name to its new fat-tired bikes.
MADISON, Wis. >> Trek Bicycle says the family of the late “Saturday Night Live” star Chris Farley has settled a federal lawsuit against the Wisconsin-based company for naming its fat-tired bikes Farley.
Trek spokesman Eric Bjorling said the settlement was reached today.
Terms are confidential, but Bjorling says Trek can continue making Farley bikes.
The lawsuit alleged Trek misappropriated Farley’s name and traded on his “fat guy” brand of comedy.
Chris Farley was born and raised in Madison, about 30 miles from Waterloo, where Trek is based. He died in Chicago in 1997 from a drug overdose.
An attorney for Make Him Smile, a company founded and run by Farley’s family to protect his publicity and property rights, did not immediately respond to a request for comment today.
