In Advertising, Governor Accepts No Imitations

SACRAMENTO — When an Oregon brewery introduced the "Governator Ale" in January, the company proclaimed it would be "no girly-man beer." It promised to brew 3,200 cases for California drinkers under a Pumping Iron label.

Then the weight came down.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's lawyers demanded that the Portland Brewing Co. cease making beer that exploited the governor's image for profit. The company quickly complied and a settlement is in the works.

The short, unhappy life of "Governator Ale" is representative of dozens of business ventures that have attempted to profit from Schwarzenegger's image as a tough guy, bodybuilder and tax-cutting politician.

As an actor, Schwarzenegger was well-known in Hollywood for aggressively protecting his carefully crafted image through letters from his team of lawyers and, occasionally, lawsuits seeking monetary damages.

His attorney Martin D. Singer has built a reputation as a tenacious advocate for his high-profile Hollywood clients, who include Celine Dion and Eddie Murphy. Reporters covering celebrities have complained about receiving hostile letters from Singer while pursuing tips about his clients.

Schwarzenegger's election as governor and his newfound status as a public official have not curbed the zeal of his advisors to protect his image. If someone profits from or distorts his image, legal experts say, he can still sue for economic damages -- even as governor.

In the months since the recall, Schwarzenegger's hard-nosed lawyers say, they have been on alert for unauthorized ads and products.

They took issue with a Southern California car dealership, for example, that featured Schwarzenegger in an advertisement that thanked him for reducing the state's car registration fees. Likewise, they have taken action against a company that produced a greeting card featuring Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, without authorization.

"There is a new front in the war" now that Schwarzenegger is governor, said his business advisor, Paul Wachter. "Where it used to be Arnold in his movies, now sometimes it may be Arnold as Arnold, or even Arnold and Maria, who has her own rights to protect."

The state has an interest in protecting Schwarzenegger's image as well, said Rob Stutzman, Schwarzenegger's communications director. The governor "wants to use himself as a pitchman, which has a tremendous value to benefit California," because it allows him to control the political agenda advanced in his name.