The
caption read "Paris's First Day as a Waitress" and made a pun on her
trademarked catch phrase, "That's Hot." In 2007, Hilton sued,
claiming her publicity rights had been violated. Last week, attorneys for
Hilton and Hallmark advised a California judge that they had reached a
settlement. A confidentiality provision limits the release of exact terms, but
it's believed Hilton walked away with a favorable package. When the heiress
filed suit in 2007, Hallmark struck back with a free-speech defense. The case
made its way up to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which handed Hilton a
huge legal victory last year. The appeals court rejected Hallmark's
protected-speech argument and raised doubts that the greeting card was
"transformative" expression. The case was remanded back to a lower
court. Since then, the two sides have been preparing for a December trial.
Evidence was being collected to ascertain the commercial value of Hilton's
endorsement. Now, pending a judge's blessing, the case is over.
