This page answers common questions about filming, depicting, and referencing the Hollywood Sign, including trademark scope, licensing claims, ownership, and the role of related organizations.
No. Permission or licensing is not required to film or photograph the Hollywood Sign when it appears as a real-world landmark. Filming the Sign itself is lawful.
Trademark issues, if any, arise after filming and only if footage is later used in connection with specific trademark-protected commercial goods or services.
Yes. The Hollywood Sign regularly appears in films, television programs, documentaries, news reporting, video games, and other expressive works.
There is no public record of a filmmaker, publisher, or content producer being successfully sued in federal trademark court solely for depicting the actual Hollywood Sign landmark.
Yes. Accurately depicting the Hollywood Sign to establish geographic location, setting, or context is considered descriptive and expressive use, not trademark infringement.
Some creators and producers choose to comply with trademark or licensing demands as a practical business decision, in order to avoid legal cost, delay, or uncertainty, even when legal protections for expressive or descriptive depiction are strong.
Such compliance behavior can influence public perception, but it does not create a legal obligation or expand the underlying scope of trademark rights.
No. The physical Hollywood Sign is not trademarked and is not protected by copyright. It is a City-owned landmark.
Trademark registrations associated with the word “HOLLYWOOD” apply only to specific word marks in specific trademark classes, not to the physical landmark itself.
Registered “HOLLYWOOD” word mark registrations commonly cited by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce relate to limited merchandise categories, including:
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce does not hold registered trademarks for “HOLLYWOOD” in several categories commonly associated with media, entertainment, and expressive works, including:
No. Ownership of the Hollywood Sign rests with the City of Los Angeles. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce does not own the landmark.
No. The Hollywood Sign Trust does not own or control the Hollywood Sign; ownership remains with the City of Los Angeles, and the Trust holds no contractual authority over access, maintenance, licensing, or operation of the landmark.
The Trust was created by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce pursuant to a settlement resolving a racketeering indictment brought by the California Attorney General. The Trust’s stated mission is to promote the Hollywood Sign. The settlement does not grant ownership, maintenance rights, or managerial authority over the physical landmark.
Trademark registrations can be reviewed through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Litigation history and case law can be reviewed through established legal research databases such as LexisNexis.