Sony is asserting that Jerry Lambert appearing in a Bridgestone ad where he enthusiastically reacts to the Wii was unfair competition, breach of contract, tortious interference along with trademark violation under the Lanham Act for confusing consumers over the spokesperson’s appearance. For its part, Bridgestone denies that Sony has an interest in the character or the possibility of confusion and notes its intentions to fight the suit.
“Mr. Lambert is one of the actors who appeared in the commercial as a Bridgestone engineer,” says the defendant. “Bridgestone denies that ‘Kevin Butler’ appears in the Bridgestone commercial discussed herein and thus denies that he speaks or does anything whatsoever in the commercial.”
The ad for Bridgestone that promised consumers a Nintendo Wii upon the purchase of four tires did notably occur September 3, just three days after the expiration of an agreement between Sony and Lambert’s loan-out company Wildcat Creek.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
