ROD STEWART - STEWART SUED BY FORMER MOVIE STUDIO

ROD STEWART is facing a court battle with HOWARD HUGHES' former Hollywood film studio, who claim the British rocker has illegally used their logo.

RKO Pictures Inc filed a federal trademark infringement suit in a Los Angeles court on Friday (28OCT05), alleging the MAGGIE MAY singer ripped off their classic logo, which depicts a radio mast with lighting bolts shooting out of the top, on his four GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK albums.

The suit claims Stewart has publicly admitted copying the RKO marks.

The suit states, "Stewart, by so capitalising, has been, and continues to be, unjustly enriched."

The RKO Studios were formed in 1928 and were purchased by oil millionaire Hughes, who ran it into the ground before selling it to the General Tire Co. Despite RKO's film production being shut down in 1957, it was reopened as a distributor in 1989 by DINA MERRILL and her producer husband, TED HARTLEY.