Celebrities who want to show their love for Louis Vuitton in their videos and album covers better think twice. The company has settled out of court with record label Sony BMG, which represents Da Brat, Ruben Studdard and Britney Spears — all of whom used the brand without authorization.
Louis Vuitton has won an undisclosed sum after battling the label for the past five years. The amount of the earnings is estimated to be near $300,000. The design house didn't like the use of the Louis Vuitton brand in a Da Brat video back in 2003, when the rapper was seen playing with an LV-printed beach ball.
It also didn't like two other uses of its sought-after symbol. Britney Spears rolled around in a pink Hummer with an LV-patterned dashboard in the "Do Somethin' " video. Regarding the video, the spokesperson said, "We don't make dashboards."
Meanwhile, the monogram was also used by "American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard. The R&B singer's 2006 album, The Return, displayed a jacket with the insignia printed on it.
"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. She added that the label also agreed "to educate its record labels," which include Arista, Columbia and Epic, about copyright laws.
A spokesperson for the record label declined to comment on the issue.
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