The above print ad, originally including the Aston Martin logo, has been circulating online in the past few days. However, what many people don’t know is that this FAKE ad is a copy of a BMW Pre Owned ad, posted below, released back in 2008 with the exact same headline: You know you’re not the first. But do you really care?

Some blogs featured the print and were forced to take off the picture after receiving e-mails from Lewis Silkin LLP, the law firm acting for Aston Martin Lagonda (AML), ensuring that the ad is fake and claiming AML’s intellectual rights for the wings logo and brand name. In respect to that, I posted a modified version of the ad taking off their logo and brand name.

Here is an extract of the e-mail:

The image appears to be an advertisement for Aston Martin pre-owned cars but has not been authorised or approved by AML. For the avoidance of doubt, AML has never consented to the use of its name or ‘wings’ device or domain name in this image.

Accordingly, the reproduction of the ‘wings’ device in the image constitutes copyright infringement; and the use of the ASTON MARTIN name and ‘wings’ device trademarks constitute trade mark infringement; and the image itself brings the Aston Martin brand into disrepute and is defamatory of AML.

It seems like AML are working hard to refrain the “virality” of this ad that would definitely tarnish their reputation for being purely stolen and maybe also because it could make feminists groups upset.

NOTE: The visual is taken from the cover a previous Playboy magazine issue and the print is signed “Aston Martin Pre Owed” and not “Owned”.