American Apparel hits back at Allen

Executives at clothing company American Apparel have hit back at Woody Allen's claims they used his image in their advertising without permission, insisting the campaign was meant as a parody.

The veteran director sued the company in March, claiming he was never contacted by the firm - which is known for its provocative ads - about the billboard and online advertisements.

The ads featured an image - taken from the 1977 movie Annie Hall - of Allen dressed as a Hasidic Jew.

However, according to the New York Daily News, bosses at the company have filed their response in Manhattan Federal Court, stating that their billboards were meant in jest.

The company's lawyer Stuart Slotnick says: "American Apparel is certainly not marketing their casual wear to Orthodox, black hat rabbis."

Billboards in New York and Los Angeles have since been taken down, but the image can still be viewed on the Internet.