TV & VIDEO - July 15, 1987

Although he said Ford Motor Co. acted like “a common thief,” a U.S District Court judge in Los Angeles Monday dismissed Bette Midler’s $10-million suit against Ford for using a sound-alike voice in a commercial without her permission. Judge Ferdinand Fernandez found that Midler wasn’t legally entitled to collect damages from Ford and the advertising agency Young and Rubicam, which produced an ad for Lincoln-Mercury cars using a voice imitating a Midler-associated song, “Do You Want to Dance.” The suit, filed in 1986, sought damages for alleged unfair competition, invasion of privacy and infringement of her right to publicity. Midler plans to appeal, her attorney said.