Sony and Kevin Butler actor settle lawsuit over Bridgestone ads

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 12:30:00 EST

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.

Sony and Kevin Butler actor settle lawsuit over Bridgestone ads originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony, Kevin Butler actor in lawsuit over breach of contract

Jessica Conditt — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST

Sony filed a lawsuit implicating Jerry Lambert, the actor who plays Kevin Butler, Sony's high-energy, aggressive spokesman and fake VP of whatever happens to be relevant. Sony's claims are based on violations of the Lanham Act, misappropriation, breach of contract and tortious interference with a contractual relationship, senior director of corporate communications Dan Race writes in a statement to VentureBeat.

Early in September, images and video of Lambert in Bridgestone Tires' "Game On" promotion gained traction online, wherein Lambert is playing a Wii and over-acting in a style similar to his Kevin Butler character. Lambert appeared in Bridgestone commercials as early as February. On September 11, Sony filed a lawsuit against Bridgestone Tires and Wildcat Creek, an advertising agency for which Lambert is actually president.

Since the filing, Lambert has been removed from the most recent Bridgestone ads. The Game On promotion ended on September 30.

"We invested significant resources in bringing the Kevin Butler character to life and he's become an iconic personality directly associated with PlayStation products over the years," Sony's statement says. "Use of the Kevin Butler character to sell products other than those from PlayStation misappropriates Sony's intellectual property, creates confusion in the market, and causes damage to Sony."

Lambert and Sony reached an agreement on September 26, and Sony has until October 12 to officially withdraw the suit or announce it will continue forward. NeoGAF member Takao has a detailed breakdown of the entire lawsuit.

Below find a few of Lambert's most memorable Sony advertisements.

Continue reading Sony, Kevin Butler actor in lawsuit over breach of contract

Sony, Kevin Butler actor in lawsuit over breach of contract originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 07 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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