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Paris Hilton is not amused. The American hotel heiress is upset a photo of her is being used to advertise vacant billboard space in Auckland. The photo, which shows Hilton partying, has the word "vacant" written in giant-sized lettering across it. Hilton's Los Angeles-based manager Jamie Freed said Wellington billboard company, Media5, had no permission to use Hilton's image, and they could expect to hear from Hilton's lawyers. Earlier this year film director Woody Allen received $US5 million in damages for the unauthorised use of his image in a billboard advertising campaign for clothing giant American Apparel. Allen objected to the use of his picture in the Los Angeles-based company's billboards, which showed him dressed in Hasidic Jewish clothing above the American Apparel logo and the words "the holy rebbe" in Yiddish. American Apparel is the United States' biggest T-shirt manufacturer. Since last year it has been owned by New Zealand millionaire Eric Watson's firm Endeavour Corp. Allen initially demanded $US10m in damages for the use of his image in breach of his longstanding refusal to endorse commercial interests, but settled with the company out of court in a bid to avoid a potentially embarrassing trial that had been expected to last up to a month.

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