Louis Vuitton Wins Settlement In Case Vs Sony

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Sony BMG Music Entertainment has settled the suit filed against it by Louis Vuitton, which claimed that the entertainment giant allowed its artists to use the famous LV monogram in music videos and album covers.

The settlement, the financial terms of which are yet to be disclosed, ends a five-year Paris court battle that involves such artists as Britney Spears, Ruben Studdard and Da Brat, whose videos and album covers made use of the LV monogram.

The battle began in 2003 when Louis Vuitton sued Sony for allowing Da Brat to bounce around in a video with a multicolored LV print beachball. The whole thing then escalated with Spears riding a pink Hummer laced with a cherry LV monogram dashboard in her 2006 video "Do Somethin’", and Ruben Studdard printing his album jacket for his 2006 CD "The Return" on Louis Vuitton monogram paper.

In a statement, Louis Vuitton's Nathalie Moulle-Berteaux expressed relief regarding the settlement. "We believe the terms of this agreement will provide strong protection to our brand worldwide.

She added that Sony BMG also agreed "to educate its record labels" about copyright laws.

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