Kim Kardashian Sues Old Navy; Doesn't Like Lookalike Ads

She's Kim Kardashian and wants to keep it that way -- no knockoffs allowed, not even from Gap.

Kardashian has filed a lawsuit in the attempt to get Old Navy, a Gap subsidiary, to stop using what she calls lookalike images of her in its advertising.

The reality show start and model sued Old Navy and Gap, its parent company, in a Los Angeles federal court this week alleging the company is violating her publicity rights by using ads to promote the clothing chain that have an image of a woman who looks like her.

YouTube has an advertisement Kardashian refers to running on its site on Old Navy's channel. The woman appearing in the ad resembles Kardashian. It has been viewed more than two million times.

Kardashian's lawsuit complains that consumers may confuse her actual endorsements, which earn the reality star and model millions of dollars each year, with the Old Navy model that looks like her. Kardashian also owns her own clothing store and shoe line, and she actively promotes those endeavors with personal endorsements and appearances.

One of the commercial Kardashian refers to in her lawsuit is titled, Super C-U-T-E. It began airing in February, and Old Navy still uses some of the promotions featuring a model she alleges is intended to look like her and play off her celebrity -- even though she is not getting paid.

A spokeswoman for Gap told USA Today the company had not seen Kardashian's lawsuit yet and had no comment on the matter.

The 31-year-old Kardashian stars on the E! Entertainment Television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians which has earned more than $100 million for each of the past several years. For reality television stars, endorsements are among their primary sources of income.

Kardashian did not name the model who appears in the ads for Old Navy in her lawsuit.

Kardashian, 31, is seeking unspecified damages in the lawsuit, and she wants to stop Old Navy from running the ads, or using a Kardashian model lookalike in the future.

Kardashian's lawsuit claims she has invested substantial time, energy, finances and entrepreneurial effort in developing her considerable professional and commercial achievements and success, as well as in developing her popularity, fame, and prominence in the public eye.

Gap (NYSE: GPS) is a publicly traded company.