by French fashion house Louis Vuitton won a landmark lawsuit this week after Sony BMG artists Ruben Studdard, Britney Spears and Da Brat used the designers logo without authorization. According to recent reports, the fashion house won the undisclosed sum after battling the label for five years over the unauthorized use of the logo on cars, jackets and other materials featured in the music videos and album covers. The settlement, which includes several lawsuits and is estimated to be near $300,000 (US) according to MTV, was awarded after the designer was able to prove its case by featuring evidence including a Louis Vuitton branded beach ball from one of Hip Hop artist Da Bratâs videos; a LV patterned dashboard in Britney Spearsâ âDo Somethinâ video and on Ruben Studdardâs jacket, which is featured on the stars 2006 album âThe Return.â As part of the settlement, Studdardâs âThe Returnâ album will be pulled from shelves. The label was also told that it may not import, distribute, or manufacture the album either. “We believe the terms of this agreement will provide strong protection to our brand worldwide,” Nathalie Moulle-Berteaux, a spokesperson for the Parisian fashion house, said in a statement. Sony has also been instructed to use its best efforts to educate its various record labels about Louis Vuitton intellectual property so that when developing products, they will be in a position to refrain from developing and selling products bearing the Louis Vuitton intellectual property. Source: Marketwatch/ MTV News
