Wash. family being sued for Oscar sales

EVERETT, Wash., Sept. 1 (UPI) -- A woman in Washington state and her relatives are being sued by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for attempting to sell three inherited Oscars.

The academy is going after Everett resident Kim Boyer and two relatives for their plan to sell three Oscars once belonging to film stars Mary Pickford and Charles "Buddy" Rogers, The Seattle Times said Saturday.

Attorney David W. Quinto said the lawsuit, filed in a Los Angeles court this week, is an attempt by academy officials to protect the sanctity of the awards.

"When the Oscar was created, it never occurred to people that it could become an article of commerce," Quinto said.

The academy's current bylaws state that if the rightful owner of an Oscar intends to sell the award, they must first make it available to the film group for $10.

Previous sales of Oscars have ranged from $50,000 to $1.5 million.

Boyer maintains she only intended to sell one inherited Oscar awarded before those bylaws were instituted in the 1950s, the Times said.