Paris Hilton: In a spot

Los Angeles, Feb. 23 (Reuters): Reality TV star Paris Hilton directed and helped shoot the notorious sex video starring her and an ex-boyfriend that has surfaced on at least two Internet porn sites, according to documents filed for a Los Angeles court hearing.

The documents were filed by Seattle-based Marvad Corp. asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit by Hilton’s ex-boyfriend, Rick Salomon, on the basis that Hilton, best known as the star of the Fox reality show The Simple Life, also held rights to the video.

Hilton’s manager had no comment. Salomon, 35, claims Marvad violated his copyright by distributing clips of the video on its website, sexbrat.com.

The lawsuit, filed in November, also accuses Salomon’s former roommate, Don Thrasher, of stealing, copying and selling the videotape to Marvad without Salomon’s permission. Thrasher has said publicly that Salomon agreed to sell the tape, and actually received half of the $50,000 proceeds.

About a week ago, Salomon posted the 38-minute video on his own website, www.trustfundgirls.com, where it sells for $50, his publicist said yesterday. Parts of the night-vision video, recorded in May 2001, turned up on the Internet in November.

US district judge Dean Pregerson heard arguments yesterday and said he would rule at a later date on Marvad’s motion to dismiss Salomon’s lawsuit.

In court papers, Marvad’s lawyers argued the case should be thrown out because Salomon was not the sole copyright holder as he apparently had claimed in registration documents.

“Unfortunately for Salomon, the video also depicts Ms Hilton participating fully in the creation of the video,” the motion said. “Ms Hilton offered directorial comments and physically controlled and directed the camera.”