The actor, who does not do ads in the US, is suing both the Ohio car dealership Fred Martin Motor Company and its advertising agency Zimmerman & Partners Advertising.
In the press ad, he appears in his Terminator guise with familiar black sunglasses. The ad only ran once in a local Ohio newspaper, but the size of the 拢15m is, according to legal experts, meant to send out a message to others not to use his image.
The now iconic image of Schwarzenegger, who has just finished filming 'Terminator 3', was used by the dealership without the actor's permission. Although he doesn't appear in US ads, like many international celebs he is happy to appear in ads in the Far East where he fronted a Nissin's noodle campaign for almost three years.
The Austrian-born actor's lawyers filed the suit at the Los Angeles Superior Court in Santa Monica. The suit alleges violation of his right of publicity under California law and seeks general as well as punitive damages.
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