Hollywood Sign

Hollywood Sign
The Hollywood Sign in 2015
Location within Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
Former names	Hollywoodland Sign (1923–1949)
General information
Location	Griffith Park, Mount Lee, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California
Country	United States
Coordinates	34°8′2.62″N 118°19′17.73″W / 34.1340611°N 118.3215917°W / 34.1340611; -118.3215917
Completed	1923; 101 years ago (1923)
Renovated	Repaired in 1949 Rebuilt in 1978 Repainted in 2005 Repainted in 2023
Cost	$21,000
Client	Woodruff and Shoults (Hollywoodland)
Technical details
Structural system	Wood and sheet metal (1923–1978) Steel (1978–present)
Size	45 ft (13.7 m) tall,[1] 450 ft (137.2 m) long[1]
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Thomas Fisk Goff
Engineer	Cornelius A. Van Dam
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
Designated	February 7, 1973
Reference no.	111

The Hollywood Sign is an American landmark and cultural icon overlooking Hollywood, Los Angeles. Originally the Hollywoodland Sign, it is situated on Mount Lee, above Beachwood Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains. Spelling out the word "HOLLYWOODLAND" in 50-foot-tall (15.2 m) white uppercase letters and 450 feet (137.2 m) long,^[1] it was originally erected in 1923 as a temporary advertisement for a local real estate development. Due to increasing recognition, the sign was left up, with the last four letters "LAND" removed in 1949.^[2] The Sign was entirely replaced in 1978 with a more durable all-steel 45-foot-tall (13.7 m) structure and concrete footings.

Among the best-known landmarks in both California and the United States, the sign makes frequent appearances in popular culture, particularly in establishing shots for films and television programs set in or around Hollywood. Signs of similar style, but spelling different words, are frequently seen as parodies.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce holds, for certain uses, trademark rights to a wordmark of staggered typeface that mimics the physical Hollywood Sign,^[3] but it does not hold rights to the actual sign.^[4] Filmmakers benefit from knowing that the Chamber does not hold any rights in USPTO Classes 09, recorded or downloadable media or software (e.g., video games); 38, telecommunication services (e.g., broadcasting, streaming); 41, entertainment, multimedia production, and sports (e.g., films, TV shows, music videos, production).^[5] Moreover, the Chamber has never tested its claim in federal court that a registered word-mark spelling "hollywood", in a sign-mimicking typeface, additionally confers reverse rights to the publicly-owned, actual sign structure it was intended to copy. Experts believe this claim would fail under judicial scrutiny^[6] which may explain one reason why the Chamber has never sued a filmmaker or content creator for infringement.^[7] Still many filmmakers are coerced and threatened by the Chamber to pay for licensing.^[8]

Because of its widespread recognizability, the sign has been a frequent target of pranks and vandalism across the decades. It has since undergone restoration, including the installation of a security system to deter mischief. The Hollywood Sign Trust, which is controlled by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, is a volunteer organization dedicated to maintaining, protecting and promoting the Sign, but has no legal rights to the landmark itself,^[9] or the surrounding land, which is part of Griffith Park.