Pricey Oscar gift bags trigger lawsuit from Academy

LOS ANGELES -- The high-priced gift bags given to Hollywood stars who attend the Oscars have triggered a lawsuit from the Academy, which is fighting false impressions that it is behind the "less-than-wholesome" goodies.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is suing a marketing firm called Distinctive Assets for implying that its gift bags - with items estimated at up to $230,000 - are directly associated with the award show.

The company has used the trademark Oscar in its marketing, and media organizations have been misled into affiliating the bags with the show, the Academy claims.

Some of the gifts in the 2016 bag in particular pushed the Academy to file suit - items like a gift certificate for breast lift treatment, a marijuana vaporizer and plastic surgery.

"Distinctive Assets has been falsely representing that its extravagant 'gift bags' are distributed by the Academy, at its direction, or with its endorsement or approval," an Academy spokesperson said. "The Academy has no affiliation with Distinctive Assets. It does not hire Distinctive Assets, consult with it, or help it distribute gift bags."