A Paris civil court has ordered Sony BMG and MTV Online to stop broadcasting or marketing Britney Spears' video "Do Something" in any form and fined them 117,000 U.S. dollars each after lawyers for Louis Vuitton successfully argued the video violates counterfeiting laws by highlighting a pink Vuitton-upholstered dashboard.
Spears appears in the driver's seat of a hot pink Hummer floating on make-believe clouds in the video's opening scenes. One close-up shows fingers tapping on a dashboard covered with what looks like Vuitton's "Cherry Blossoms" design: dark pink blossoms on a pale pink, weblike background, embossed with the "LV" logo.
The court did not find Spears herself guilty but ruled that Sony BMG and MTV Online were guilty of violating counterfeiting laws. The ruling said the video constituted an "attack" on Louis Vuitton's brands and its luxury image, the spokeswoman said.
It was not immediately clear how the ban would be enforced, or whether the companies would appeal. MTV declined to comment on the ruling. Sony BMG did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The video was still on YouTube and other music websites visible in France on Monday. On a few sites, however, links to the video led to a blank screen, or one reading, "This video is no longer available."
Louis Vuitton, whose signature handbags are a prime target of counterfeiters worldwide, has fought vigorously through French and other courts to protect its trademark goods.
Source:Xinhua/Agencies
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