The opening sequence to the hit AMC drama "Mad Men" is best known for its haunting theme music, "A Beautiful Mine," but for five seasons, it has also showcased iconic imagery from the 1960s, including an image from an old Revlon ad that features model Gita Hall.
The 70-year-old former model is now suing Lionsgate Entertainment for using the image without her permission, saying, "I was surprised because nobody had checked with me about it. They must have thought I was dead."
Hall's suit describes her pic the "centerpiece" of the show's Emmy-winning opening and calls for her to be compensated for the value of using her likeness. It's estimated that "Mad Men" has generated more than $1 billion since its debut in 2007.
Think she has a case? See how these TV stars fared when they sued when their likeness was used.
Elly May: Barbie lawsuit
In 2011, "Beverly Hillbillies" star Donna Douglas sued CBS and Mattel for using her "name, likeness, image, and attributes as Elly May" when the toy giant debuted a Barbie doll based on her character from the 1960s sitcom. The 2010 Elly May-style Barbie -- part of a pop culture collector's series -- came with a slingshot accessory and sported telltale curly pig tails, a gingham shirt, and jeans tied at the waist with a rope belt, but the TV star on which it was based was never consulted. The lawsuit -- which sought a minimum of $75,000 in damages -- was settled out of court, with Douglas's attorney claiming the actress was happy with the result."Happy Days": slot-machine lawsuit
Cast members from the 1970s sitcom "Happy Days" banded together to file a lawsuit against CBS for continued use of their images without their permission, citing the use of pictures of the cast members on casino slot machines.
In 2011, Marion Ross, who played Marion Cunningham on the long-running show, told CNN, "It takes a lot to make me angry because so often my expectations are so low, but the other day someone came up to me and said, 'You must be cleaning up on those casinos.' And I said, 'Well, what are you talking about?' And he said, 'If you get five Marions, you get the jackpot."'
The suit also claimed the cast was unpaid for the show's mega merchandising deals, including the use of their images on comic books, T-shirts, trading cards, lunch boxes, dolls, and greeting cards.
In 2012, the lawsuit was settled 11 days before going to trial, with "Happy Days" actors Marion Ross, Erin Moran, Anson Williams, Don Most, and the widow of Tom Bosley each receiving between $60,000 and $65,000, according to Deadline.
David Cassidy: Sony lawsuit
In 2011, '70s singing sitcom heartthrob David Cassidy attempted to sue Sony for using his image on a bounty of "Partridge Family" merchandise, but the actor was denied a jury trial. Cassidy claimed he was only been paid $5,000 for merchandise that featured his image, and alleged fraud and breach of contract against Sony Pictures Entertainment and subsidiaries Screen Gems Inc. and CPT Holdings Inc. While Cassidy's claim sought "in excess of millions of dollars" -- citing the show's merchandise and spinoffs had generated $500 million -- Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joseph Kalin ruled that the dispute should be handled by an arbitrator.So why did Cassidy wait more than three decades to file a lawsuit over all of those 1970s lunchboxes, board games, and pillow cases that had his face plastered all over them?
According to E Online, the 60-something singer waited this long because he only recently found a copy of his original contract in a box that hadn't been opened in 30 years. No word yet on the arbitration outcome or if Cassidy ever did c'mon and get happy.
Kim Kardashian: commercial lawsuit
And finally, mark this one under K for "kinda kooky." Kim Kardashian's lawsuit against Old Navy had a morsel of merit; the retail chain got slammed for using a Kim clone in one of their ads, but can model Melissa Molinaro help it if she looks like the "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star? While Kim settled with the clothing retailer for an undisclosed amount (she reportedly asked for millions in damages, claiming Old Navy violated her publicity rights by using a lookalike in the commercial titled "Super C-U-T-E"), the legal drama opened the door for frivolous copycat lawsuits.According to The Atlantic, Kardashian's lawsuit "has the potential to make life very difficult for people of all hair colors, writers of fiction, ad companies grasping for pop culture relevancy, and anyone who looks or sounds like a famous person."
Suffice it to say, Old Navy won't be keeping up with a Kardashian clone in future commercials. And neither should anyone else.
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