Judge Oks ‘Naked Gun’ Parody Of Moore Photo

An advertisement for a “Naked Gun” movie that showed a man’s head on a nude, pregnant body is a legitimate parody of a magazine cover of actress Demi Moore, a federal judge ruled.

Judge Loretta Preska this week dismissed photographer Annie Leibovitz’s claim that the ad infringed on her copyright of the Moore photo, which appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair in August 1991.

“Like all parodies,” the judge wrote, “it relies for its comic effect on the contrast between the original - a serious portrayal of a beautiful woman taking great pride in the majesty of her pregnant body - and the new work - a ridiculous image of a smirking, foolish-looking pregnant man.”

The ad for “Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult” was used in 1994 with the caption “Due this March.” It showed Leslie Nielsen’s head attached to a pregnant body. In the comedy, a retired police detective, played by Nielsen, is pressured by his wife to start a family.