Sony has settled its lawsuit with Kevin butler actor Jerry Lambert. According to a report on Media Post, Lambert has settled with Sony and agreed not to appear in non-Sony gaming commercials for a set period.
Sony sued Lambert and his production company back in October after Lambert appeared in a commercial for Bridgestone Tires that included an advertisement for a promotion using Mario Kart Wii. At the time, Sony said Lambert’s appearance “to sell products other than those from PlayStation misappropriates Sony’s intellectual property, creates confusion in the market, and causes damage to Sony.” Sony also sued Bridgestone at the time, and despite the settlement with Lambert, “Sony and Bridgestone are still battling in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.”
Media Post reports that as part of the settlement, Lambert “acknowledged that his contract with Sony precluded him from promoting or endorsing competing game systems” and that “confusion was created in the minds of some consumers who believed he was portraying the Kevin Butler character in both the PlayStation and Bridgestone commercials.” Lambert also agreed not to appear in any ad that features “any other video game or computer entertainment system or video game company” for at least two years.
Lambert also agreed to seek Sony’s permission before appearing in commercials, and will have to provide Sony with details so the company “can assess whether or not Lambert’s intended performance violates [Sony’s] rights in the Kevin Butler character.”
Kevin Butler debuted in 2009 as part of the It Only Does Everything ad campaign. Since then, Butler has become an iconic Sony spokesperson, appearing at E3 press conferences, teasing other ads and even starring in downloadable content for LittleBigPlanet Karting.
Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following @garfep on Twitter or garfep on IGN.
Source : ign[dot]com
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