Remember last year when Sony sued actor Jerry Lambert a.k.a. Kevin Butler over appearing in a Bridgestone commercial that showed him playing a Wii?
Good news for Kevin Butler fans as both the actor and Sony have now reached a settlement. Under the newly-formed agreement, actor Jerry Lambert has agreed not to appear in any ad or promotion that features or mentions "any other video game or computer entertainment system or video game company" for the next two years.
Lambert, who also owns Wildcat Creek — one of the companies Sony sued — will be able to do videogame commercials again once the two-year restriction is up. But the Kevin Butler persona remains the property of Sony and Lambert is barred from playing the character without Sony's permission. In addition to that, Lambert has also agreed to give Sony notice and provide the company with sufficient details so that it can "assess whether or not Lambert's intended performance violate's Sony's rights in the Kevin Butler character."
While Lambert and Sony have come to terms, Sony and Bridgestone are still battling in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California over the matter.
In other words, don't expect Lambert in any videogame-related commercial for at least two years, but he can still do other work that are not videogame related.
What I want to know is, is this the end of Kevin Butler for Sony or can they move on after this? Hope it's the latter since Butler might be one of the most relatable and funniest "mascots" I've seen in a while.
Would you want more Kevin Butler ads or has his schtick ran its course?