Sony and actor Jerry Lambert have reached an out of court settlement on the breach of contract suit Sony lobbied at Lambert’s ad agency, Wildcat Creek, last October. Lambert, made famous in an advertisement campaign starring as faux-Sony exec Kevin Butler, had appeared in a Bridgestone ad that featured Nintendo’s rival console, the Wii. Sony alleged Lambert’s appearance, still associated with Butler despite a dissolution of the two parties’ original contract for the character, caused confusion in the marketplace. According to MediaDailyNews, Lambert agrees.
As part of the settlement, Lambert will not be appearing in any advertisement that mentions or features “any other video game or computer entertainment system or video game company” for the next two years. While he is eligible to participate in non-competitive video game advertising, Lambert’s terms also include mandatory notice be sent to Sony to evaluate whether said ad interferes with the settlement or violates Sony’s lasting hold on the Kevin Butler character.
No further details on the settlement have been announced, and Sony remains in legal conflict with Bridgestone (the company who produced the advertisement allegedly featuring Lambert as Butler) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
(Source: MediaDailyNews, via MCV)