Sony settles with Kevin Butler actor over Bridgestone TV ad

Sony has settled its breach of contract suit against actor Jerry Lambert, known best as the face of fictional Sony executive Kevin Butler, following Lambert's appearance in a commercial for tire company Bridgestone Americas, Media Post reports.

The suit was initially filed last year against Lambert's company Wildcat Creek and Bridgestone when Lambert appeared in a commercial for the tire company, showing him playing on a competing Nintendo Wii console. This commercial coincided with a Wii giveaway promotion for customers who bought tires from the company.

Sony maintained that Lambert's contract barred him from promoting competing consoles. The console owner also alleged that Bridgestone intentionally used the Kevin Butler character for their own purposes — something Bridgestone denied.

According to this settlement, Lambert acknowledges his contract with Sony barred him from promoting competing game consoles. Lambert additionally acknowledges that his role in the commercial created confusion for some customers believing he portrayed Kevin Butler in the Bridgestone commercials, in addition to PlayStation advertisements. Lambert has agreed to not appear in promotional material that mentions "any other video game or computer entertainment system or video game company" for two years. He may return to promoting other games companies following these two years; However, the Kevin Butler character will continue to be property of Sony.

Lambert has also agreed to give Sony notice in the case that he appears in a video game commercial following this two-year barring. He will offer the company details on the subject matter of the ad so it "can assess whether or not Lambert's intended performance violates [Sony's] rights in the Kevin Butler character."

While the case with Lambert is now settled, Sony's suit against Bridgestone continues in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.