Though they are well past their prime, J-pop aidoru aidoru pioneers Pink Lady still have an image to protect…and cash in on. And so when publisher Kobunsha ran a feature on dieting through dance and used photos of the middle-aged duo – Mii (53) and Masuda Keiko (54) – performing their famous moves, but did so without their permission, a lawsuit was the result. That lawsuit, filed way back in October 2007, claimed that the magazine had infringed on their publicity rights and requested ¥3.7 million in compensation. But it was rejected by the Tokyo District Court and so the duo made a final appeal to a higher court.
Well, this morning the No.1 petty bench of the Supreme Court, ruling on a case of its kind for the first time, rejected the appeal and bringing the case to a close. It’s unlikely that either of the singers are stuck for money as they have been cashing in on the nostalgia boom for decades.
Pink Lady were a music sensation in their heyday between 1971 and 1981, when they split for the first time. The following 30 years would see them reform five times, releasing the occasional single and half a dozen compilation albums. But they have never reached anywhere near the level of their original success. Read more about Pink Lady here.