More News re lawsuit against Carroll Shelby

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    DENICE HALICKI ASKS COURT TO STOP CARROLL SHELBY FROM BRANDING AND 
MARKETING HIS LINE OF HIGH-END RETROFITTED FORD MUSTANGS WITH THE NAME 
"ELEANOR" FROM THE CLASSIC FILM GONE IN 60 SECONDS

    Los Angeles, CA (November 15, 2004) - Denice Halicki filed an 
amended complaint today in Los Angeles Federal Court, asking the Court 
to stop defendant Carroll Shelby from branding and marketing his line of 
high-end, retrofitted Ford Mustangs with the name "Eleanor" from the 
classic film Gone in 60 Seconds.  Ms. Halicki claims that she and her 
husband, the late filmmaker H.B. "Toby" Halicki, were the first to use 
the Eleanor and Gone in 60 Seconds marks, and that Mr. Shelby has no 
right to market Eleanor-branded vehicles and merchandise without her 
permission.  She seeks an order from the Court that would instruct the 
US Patent and Trademark Office to cancel and invalidate trademarks which 
she alleges were wrongfully obtained by the Defendants.  Ms. Halicki is 
represented by Jeffrey S. Kravitz with the Los Angeles office of Lord, 
Bissell & Brook, LLP.  Halicki vs. Carroll Shelby International, Inc., 
Case No. CV04-8813 SJO (PJWx).

    Ms. Halicki is the CEO of Halicki Films and filed suit on October 
25, 2004 for copyright and trademark infringement of her rights to the 
film Gone in 60 Seconds and its feature character Eleanor against 
Carroll Shelby, Carroll Shelby International, Inc. (OTC-CSBI) (Bulletin 
Board: CSBI), Carroll Hall Shelby Trust and Unique Motorcars, Inc., 
among others.  In February 2004, Ms. Halicki alleges that she discovered 
that the Defendants were manufacturing and marketing unauthorized motor 
vehicles which are copies of the character Eleanor featured in Gone in 
60 Seconds, and which sell at prices ranging from $90,000 to $150,000 
each.  She claims that the Defendants have further expanded their 
exploitation of her Eleanor trademark by marketing bronze scale models 
of Eleanor and selling them for $5,900 apiece; selling Eleanor clothing; 
selling posters of Mr. Shelby and Eleanor; licensing Eleanor to Quaker 
State Motor Oil; and made a race car with the names Gone in 60 Seconds 
and Eleanor on it.

    In 1974, Toby Halicki wrote, produced and directed the original film 
Gone in 60 Seconds which starred Eleanor, a 1971 Fastback Mustang that 
he customized to become a Mach 1 Fastback Mustang.  In 1989, Toby was 
tragically killed during a stunt sequence while filming Gone in 60 
Seconds 2, which  also featured Eleanor.  In 1994, his widow Denice 
Halicki obtained all right, title and interest to the original film Gone 
in 60 Seconds and Eleanor from her husband's estate.  In 1995, Ms. 
Halicki contracted to remake Gone in 60 Seconds and was an executive 
producer.  In 2000, the remake of Gone in 60 Seconds was released 
starring Nicholas Cage, Angelina Jolie and Eleanor.

    Since 1974 the Halickis consistently maintained control and 
protection over the Eleanor character
and Gone in 60 Seconds.  Ms. Halicki sells model toys of Eleanor and 
other Eleanor- and Gone in 60 Seconds-related merchandise, including 
DVDs and VHS tapes of the original Gone in 60 Seconds and its popular 
sequels The Junkman  and Deadline Auto Theft.  Eleanor toured the United 
States to promote the  initial release of Gone in 60 Seconds, and 
appeared at the first Long Beach Grand Prix.  A star attraction at both 
the California Classic Car Rally and the L.A. 2000 NASCAR Street Race, 
Eleanor was also, for four-months, one of the stars of the Peterson 
Automotive Museum's "Great Cars of the Movies" exhibit.

    Even though Ms. Halicki is the first and prior user of the Eleanor 
mark, Defendant Carroll Hall Shelby Trust registered the Eleanor 
trademark in 2004 with the US Patent and Trademark Office, registration 
number 2837333 for "vehicles, namely, automobiles, engines for 
automobiles, and structural parts for automobiles".  Shelby also applied 
for a registration for the Eleanor trademark for "toys, namely, die-cast 
metal model cars" in 2001, which has not yet been registered.  
Additionally, Plaintiff seeks to have the Court declare Shelby's claim 
that registration of the "GT-500" trademark does not permit it  to 
market Eleanor-branded vehicles because Ms. Halicki owns the Eleanor mark.

     "It has been deeply disturbing to me that Carroll Shelby has taken 
my Eleanor and has been using her fame and popularity to put millions of 
dollars in his pocket," said Denice Halicki.  "Carroll Shelby is 
definitely not dealing fair and square, and I won't allow him to tarnish 
the legacy that my late husband Toby created nor will I allow him to 
stand in the way of moving forward with my own plans for Eleanor and 
Gone in 60 Seconds.  I hope that he will meet me at the settlement 
table, but he needs to know that I don't intend to let him or anyone 
else get away with violating my rights."

    "Carroll Shelby is interfering with Denice Halicki's reasonable 
expectation of prospective economic advantage from the use of her 
intellectual property rights in Eleanor and Gone In 60 Seconds, 
"explained Jeffrey S. Kravitz.  She was 'up to bat first' and the 
Defendants had no business registering any kind of mark with the US 
Patent and Trademark Office in violation of her prior rights.  That's 
why we amended the complaint and will ask the Court to revoke Mr. 
Shelby's trademark registrations and why we will 'step up to the plate' 
to oppose any other Eleanor- or Gone in 60 Seconds-related marks that 
the Defendants might attempt to register."

   Plaintiff Denice Halicki is CEO of Halicki Films 
(www.gonein60seconds.com) and is based in Los Angeles, CA.  She is 
represented by Jeffrey S. Kravitz with the Los Angeles office of Lord, 
Bissell & Brook, LLP (www.lordbissell.com); Tel: 213.485.1500.

Defendant Carroll Shelby's (www.carrollshelby.com) legal interests are 
represented by M. Neil Cummings of  Los Angeles, CA; Tel. 310.914.1849.

Editor's Note #2

Also named as Defendants are: Carroll Shelby Licensing, Inc., Carroll 
Shelby Engineering, Inc., Carroll Shelby Motors, Inc., Carroll Shelby 
Distribution International, Inc., Unique Performance, Inc. and Sanderson 
Sales & Marketing.