Brando's estate sues over chair

Brando's films included The Godfather and Last Tango in Paris

Representatives of Godfather actor Marlon Brando's estate are suing two furniture makers and a retailer over a home cinema chair called The Brando.

The legal papers, filed at Los Angeles Superior Court, claim permission to use the name had not been obtained.

They are seeking unspecified damages and a court order to halt the sale of any more goods using the Brando name.

Brando died of lung failure in Los Angeles in 2004. His estate is said to be worth more than $20m (£15.3m).

The papers name three sellers of the chair - City Leather in southern California, Palliser Furniture Corp in North Carolina and Palliser Furniture Ltd in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

City Leather vice-president Jason Brainard said employees had been told to stop using the name when selling the chair, adding that a new name had not yet been decided.