The estate of Marlon Brando and Harley-Davidson have reached a settlement in a civil suit over the use of the actor’s name.

As reported last May, the dispute was over a leather riding boot Harley-Davidson sold as “The Brando”. The suit sought an injunction for Harley-Davidson to stop using the Brando name, and asked for unspecified damages.

Brando Enterprises LP, which represents the late star of “The Wild One“, has reached an out-of-court settlement with both Harley-Davidson and Wolverine Worldwide, the company that produced the Brando boot. Terms of the settlement were not released.

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Brando Enterprises, an operating entity that protects the Marlon Brando brand on behalf of the actor’s family, has filed a lawsuit against Harley-Davidson. The suit alleges Harley-Davidson used the legendary actor’s name without a license for a leather riding boot called “The Brando”.

“It is interesting that Harley-Davidson – a company that is vigorously protective of its own brand – would seek to exploit an iconic property without benefit of a licensing agreement,” says  Jeffrey I. Abrams, the licesning attorney who filed the suit. “The flagrant disregard for the law by Harley-Davidson cannot be tolerated. It is our mission to protect the Marlon Brando name and we will pursue any company or individual who infringes on these rights meant to benefit the Brando family.”

Harley-Davidson no longer offers boots called “The Brando”,  though some online retailers still sell Harley-Davidson Brando boots (pictured to the right).

The lawsuit seeks an injunction to stop Harley-Davidson from using the Brando name. The suit also seeks unspecified damages for the sales and marketing of unlicensed “Brando” boots.

Let’s not forget the important thing though: Brando was more of a Triumph man, riding his own personal 1950 Triumph Thunderbird 6T for the classic biker film “The Wild One”.

View the full press release after the jump.

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For every rider who has ever thrown their leg over a bike, there is surely one particular model that they can recount as being responsible for infecting them with the contagious riding bug. While some were fortunate to have biking in their blood and Hogs in their garage, others have undoubtedly become acquainted through the various forms of media within popular culture. Whether you caught the itch from seeing Marlon Brando in The Wild Ones, or Erik Estrada in CHiPs, many riders were inspired by images that shone upon the silver screen or appeared on their television sets each week. Not simply reserved for bikes from the entertainment industry, many a rider has become infatuated with the two-wheeled world through motorsport.

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