Sony and Kevin Butler actor settle lawsuit over Bridgestone ads
Sony and Jerry Lambert, the actor who plays Sony's eccentric Kevin Butler spokesman, settled their lawsuit. Lambert admitted his appearance in a Bridgestone commercial playing a Wii may have confused some consumers, thinking the Kevin Butler character endorsed both Nintendo and Sony.
Sony sued Lambert in October based on violations of the Lanham Act, misappropriation, breach of contract and tortious interference with a contractual relationship. Bridgestone denied that the Kevin Butler character appeared in any of its commercials, but removed Lambert from its ads.
As part of the settlement, Lambert agreed to not appear in any advertisements that feature or mention "any other video game or computer entertainment system or video game company" for two years. For two years after that, Lambert must notify Sony if he wants to appear in gaming ads so Sony can assess whether his intended performance will infringe on the Kevin Butler character.
Though Lambert and Sony settled, Sony and Bridgestone's lawsuit remains ongoing in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.
