Kardashian sues Old Navy over lookalike in ads

(AP) 

LOS ANGELES -- Kim Kardashian wants Old Navy to stop using a lookalike to advertise its clothing.

The reality show starlet and model on Wednesday sued the clothing store and its parent company, The Gap Inc., in a Los Angeles federal court alleging their ads violated her publicity rights with ads that feature a woman who looks like her.

A video of a broadcast ad featuring a smiling, dark-haired woman who bears a resemblance to the real Kardashian has been viewed more than two million times on Old Navy's YouTube channel.

Photos: Melissa Molinaro: A Kim Kardashian look-alike?
Read: Kardashian lookalike in Old Navy ad

Kardashian's lawsuit claims consumers may be confused by the ads and the model's actual endorsements, which include her own clothing store and shoe line. A commercial, titled, "Super C-U-T-E," began airing in February and Old Navy is still using some of the promotions, the lawsuit states.

Pictures: Kim Kardashian's birthday surprises

The case cites all the benchmarks of modern celebrity: her eight million followers on Twitter, more than five million fans on Facebook and ranking as one of the most searched-for celebrities on the Internet.

Photos: Kim Kardashian's sexiest TwitPics

Kardashian "has invested substantial time, energy, finances and entrepreneurial effort in developing her considerable professional and commercial achievements and success, as well as in developing her popularity, fame, and prominence in the public eye," the lawsuit states.

Louise Callagy, a spokeswoman for San Francisco-based Gap said the company has not yet seen the case and had no comment.

Kardashian, 31, has rocketed to fame in recent years after gaining prominence as a friend of Paris Hilton and for having a sex tape. She appears along with her family on the E! Entertainment Television series "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" and routinely graces magazine covers.

Her lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages and wants a federal judge to prevent Old Navy from using a Kardashian lookalike model in its ads again.

The model in the ads, Melissa Molinaro, is not named in the lawsuit. She expressed exasperation that the resemblance was being pointed out again. "Were (sic) still talking about this," she posted on Twitter, noting the ad ran five months ago. "Some people have too much time on (their) hands."

[justsane-2009]

i guess it just shows that ms. kardashian is fairly ordinary-looking.

[PourpaixPourpaix]

We need to terminate the careers of those who resemble someone famous because the famous should enjoy a monopoly on physical features of the human body? What we really need is tort reform and strong civil (if not criminal) penalties for little Princesses like Kardashian who waste all our time and government resources on arrogant hissy fits over misspent vanity.

[RealiteBites]

Ugh, this chick is the most vapid waste of space - WHY exactly is she famous???

She's just jealous because the look-alike is dating her ex-boyfriend. I mean like legally, this sounds just like the Vanna White robot case, so she either puts her look-alike out of business, or else she gets the big bucks every time the look-alike gets hired for pennies.

Meow, meow Kim ...

[Lawyers-Guns-n-Money06]

There's only one way to settle this... NAKED MUD WRESTLING!!!

[sngore]

Well, the ads suck. So, suing them works.

[meshine]

She needs to do another Ray J tape so that we can get a better look at her real talents.

[theskeptical1]

The problem is not that Melissa Molinaro is merely a "look alike": the real issue is that, in comparison with Kardashian, she's a "looks much better than"! And *that* is what's put Miss Kim's nose out of joint.

[displeased2]

The model is much prettier than Kim. No wonder she's pisssed.

[bobnjersey]

[Her lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages and wants a federal judge to prevent Old Navy from using a Kardashian lookalike model in its ads again.]
---------------------------------------------
if she can show that old navy is using another person in their ads specifically because she has a resemblance to kk ... and kk can show that her 'likeness' (which is her brand) is being exploited or damaged in some way ... then she has a case ... and old navy has a problem.

[sapphyre1120]

Another "look at me. I am so important" moment.