Qld: Charity can can? French say charity can't can't

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2009
Qld: Charity can can? French say charity can't can't

By Steve Gray

BRISBANE, Aug 4 AAP - Some Aussie kids won't be learning to speak French in a hurry.

A Queensland charity has been forced to rebadge planned fundraisers after being threatened
by lawyers for the famed Moulin Rouge cabaret in Paris.

The Hear and Say Centre is one of the leading children's deafness and cochlear implant
centres in the world. It teaches children who are deaf or hearing impaired to listen and
speak.

The charity had planned Brisbane and Gold Coast fundraisers themed on the Moulin Rouge
experience, with wine, the Can Can, monsieurs et mademoiselles.

Posters and tickets were printed, publicity was creeping along - and then came a letter
from lawyers representing the Paris cabaret telling Hear and Say to cease and desist.

"I'm absolutely appalled, but at the same time excited that they've probably done the
opposite to what they were trying to do - by giving us publicity," said the Gold Coast
event's organiser, Nicholas Rone.

"What we did immediately was remove Moulin Rouge from the website, which is, I guess
where they found it."

Mr Rone said another donor had done the printing for free and all the material now
had to be reprinted.

"So many people have put in so much hard work to make this thing come off," he said.

"It's all to try and raise funds in a very difficult economy."

The Brisbane event is now billed as "Le Windmill de Rouge (due to unprecedented legal
action from Paris)" and says "all proceeds will be donated to the Hear and Say Centre
to help Queensland children learn to hear, listen and speak (but not in French)".

The Gold Coast event is now the Gala Charity Ball but still with the French trimmings.

"I just think it's a bunch of people sitting there with far too much time on their
hands," Mr Rone said of the legal threat.

AAP stg/pjo/mmr/cdh

KEYWORD: CHARITY

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