Hilton sues Hallmark over catchphrase

Los Angeles – Paris Hilton is suing over the use of her picture and catchphrase “That’s hot” on a greeting card.

Hilton sued Hallmark Cards Inc. in U.S. District Court seeking an injunction and unspecified damages to be determined at trial.

According to the lawsuit filed Thursday, the card is titled “Paris’s First Day as a Waitress” and shows a photo of Hilton’s face on a cartoon of a waitress serving a plate of food to a patron. In a dialogue bubble she says, “Don’t touch that, it’s hot.” The customer cartoon asks, “What’s hot?” She answers, “That’s hot.”

The suit says Hilton owns the trademark “That’s hot,” which was registered on Feb. 13, 2007.

The lawsuit claims commercial appropriation of identity, invasion of privacy, misappropriation of publicity, false representation that Hilton endorses the product, and infringement of a federally registered trademark. The damages would be based on profits from the $2.49 cards, said Hilton attorney Brent Blakely.

Hallmark defended the card as parody, which is normally protected under fair-use law.

“Some of Hallmark’s new humor greeting cards are parodies of today’s most popular celebrities and politicians,” said Hallmark spokeswoman Julie O’Dell in an e-mailed statement.

Alma mater dedicates Letterman building

Muncie, Ind. – David Letterman says it will be convenient having a building named after him at his alma mater.

“Forget your name – just check the building,” he said.

That was part of a Top-10 list the talk-show host and Ball State University graduate read Friday during the dedication ceremony for the David Letterman Communication and Media Building.

Thousands of Ball State students and others turned out for the ceremony, with the chant “We want Dave! We want Dave!” frequently coming from the crowd that, amid intermittent rain, spilled along the sidewalks and street running in front of the building.

Letterman was joined by his four-year-old son, Harry, and mother, Dorothy, for the ceremony, during which he asked the crowd whether he still needed to wear his name badge.

The 75,000 square-foot building includes studio and office space and is open to students 24 hours a day. It features a $1 million production complex with five surround-sound editing suites and two surround-sound recording studios.

‘Sopranos’ actress to guest star on ’30 Rock’

Los Angeles – With “The Sopranos” over, Edie Falco is going for laughs on NBC’s “30 Rock.”

Falco, who played the wife of mob boss Tony Soprano on the HBO series, will appear in three episodes of the sitcom about a “Saturday Night Live”-type TV show.

“I have laughed out loud at this show, and I am thrilled for the opportunity to work with such great comic actors,” Falco said of “30 Rock” in a statement from NBC.

“We’re thrilled to have such an amazing actress come join us,” series creator and star Tina Fey said Thursday.