HULIQ
Kim Kardashian vs. Old Navy, is it really a look-alike?
Submitted by Paula Duffy on 2011-07-21
Not only does Kim think they knew what they were doing, hiring someone who costs a whole heck of a lot less than her for a national ad, they are proving her case by tweeting about how much the actress looks like Kim K.
The soon to be married Kim, who sports an obscenely large and expensive diamond, charges a pretty penny for her services when she endorses a product. When she not only endorses it but appears in an ad, her fee is even more. Read about Kim’s 20 carat diamond dwarfing sister Khloe’s ring.
The Washington Post reported that Kim was quoted in the press release that announced the litigation, “I’ve worked hard to support the products I’m personally involved with and that I believe in.”
Old Navy did nothing more than other major retailers and well known consumer brands, who found out the hard way that sound-alikes or look-alikes end up costing legal fees or fines from the Federal Trade Commission.
The singer Bette Midler successfully sued Ford Motors more than 20 years ago when they retained a singer who imitated Midler’s voice in an auto commercial, performing one of her signature tunes. Ford tried to save some money and wrongly believed that as long as they didn’t show Midler’s face or use her name, a sound-alike would pass muster. But is Kim’s complaint misguided?
The Old Navy ad in question is posted below and features an actress named Melissa Molinaro. CBS News reported about her six months ago when the Old Navy ad started in heavy rotation on television. Molinaro is a Canadian actress and singer who has appeared in such television programs as “Making the Band 3“, “The Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll,” and various daytime soap operas. She has a career that while less famous than Kim’s is more diverse and it’s not like she doesn’t have a resume including other commercials. She might have been chosen based on that resume…or not.
Once the news got out about the look-alike, it’s certain that the Kardashian business enterprise went into full battle mode. Typically, the first step in a case like this is to send a cease and desist letter to the offending corporate entity, demanding that the ad be pulled and that damages be paid to the person whose likeness was imitated. Read about Kim and her diamond spending Memorial Day weekend in Monaco.
If that doesn’t work, lawyers get geared up for a court battle which apparently has begun. According to TMZ.com Kim is even more angry about the fact that Old Navy is tweeting about ir as if the public was the first to inform them that Molinaro looks just like Kim. “”@CBSNEWS reports that Old Navy’s Super CUTE star looks like @kimkardashian. #LOL. What do you think?”
The Kardashian family business brought in revenue of more than $65 million in 2010, according to tax filings. Huliq News reported earlier this year about the fees that mother Kris Jenner can negotiate for one of her kids who endorses a product. You can read that here. Old Navy had no comment to media inquiries on Wednesday. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
