Woody Allen Collects $5 Million for Image Misrepresentation

Woody Allen defended himself in court Monday against clothing company, American Apparel, after his face was used inappropriately and without his consent in promoting the brand. He won a $5 million lawsuit.

Using an image of Allen from the Oscar-winning film, Annie Hall, in which he was dressed up in Hasidic attire, the clothing company, known for its racy and often controversial advertisements, plastered it on billboards and their Web site with the caption, "the holy rebbe" in Yiddish text, reported the Associated Press.

Allen, 72, was outraged, claiming that the image was a clear violation of his privacy and misrepresentation of his career. He took the company to court, originally suing for $10 million.

On the contrary, founder of American Apparel, Dov Charney, believed "freedom of speech" granted them permission to use the image for a public statement that would confront social issues. He put blame for the incident back on American Apparel's insurance company, according to the New York Daily News.

Allen's appearance in Manhattan federal court was brief as American Apparel's weak First Amendment case led the jury to quickly decide against the company's nonsensical claims.

Charney was in good spirits after the verdict was given, reportedly saying, "I hope to meet Mr. Allen on more friendly terms. I'm looking forward to his next film."