RICKY GERVAIS - GERVAIS TRAINING VIDEO REMOVED FROM INTERNET

GERVAIS TRAINING VIDEO REMOVED FROM INTERNET

RICKY GERVAIS is battling hit internet site YouTube after two supposedly private training videos for Microsoft were leaked onto it last month (JUL06). The clips see THE OFFICE star in his cult DAVID BRENT role advising employees at the software firm about company policy. In one scene from the 2003 video, Gervais says of Microsoft founder BILL GATES, "I don't think he made his fortune by spending time in meetings with idiots. I bet no one watching this has ever spoken to him. It would be easier to talk to OSAMA BIN LADEN." He also warns computer "dweebs" that, "Too much thinking makes Jack a mental case." Microsoft are now conducting a full investigation into how the spoof movie, titled THE OFFICE VALUES, found its way onto the internet. Gervais and his writing partner STEPHEN MERCHANT only agreed to the lucrative deal on the condition it was never made public. A spokeswoman for Gervais says, "We don't want people to think that David Brent is coming back." A message on YouTube said yesterday (23AUG06) that clips had been removed "at the request of copyright owner Microsoft because its content was used without permission."