Diana charity loses a mint

San Francisco A federal appeals court declined to reinstate a lawsuit by a Princess Diana charity trust fund against the Franklin Mint Co.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday upheld a lower court judge who dismissed the case against the Franklin Mint, which has sold jewelry, plates, sculptures and dolls with Diana’s likeness.

The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund accused the Pennsylvania company of unlawfully using Diana’s likeness. The fund authorized about 20 companies, but not the Franklin Mint, to use the name and likeness of the princess for products sold in the United States, with the proceeds going to charity.

A three-judge panel of the appeals court said the mint had a legal right to use Diana’s likeness. The panel found the mint did not advertise the products as being affiliated with the trust. The court also set aside arguments that the mint violated a California law known as the “post-mortem right of publicity.” That law says companies must get consent from a deceased person’s estate to sell products with that person’s likeness.

Webber pays tribute to Bollywood

London Andrew Lloyd Webber and several of his well-known friends attended the premiere of his lavish Bollywood musical, “Bombay Dreams,” at the Apollo Victoria Theater.

Lloyd Webber watched the performance Wednesday in the company of actor Michael Caine and his wife, Shakira.

Denise Van Outen and Claire Sweeney, who both starred in the hit musical “Chicago,” were there, along with Bob Geldof and Elaine Paige.

Many in the audience got into the spirit of Bollywood India’s film industry by wearing saris or shalwar kameez the traditional outfit of pants and a long tunic.

Lloyd Webber’s homage to Bollywood was three years in the making, with a reported budget of $6.7 million.

Newcomer Raza Jaffrey plays the lead role of Akaash, a penniless Bombay boy plucked from obscurity to become a major Bollywood star.

Mandela seeks Olympic truce

Athens, Greece Former South African President Nelson Mandela offered support for Greece’s campaign to foster an Olympic truce.

The idea seeks to pause world conflicts during the Olympiad harkening back to the truces between warring city-states during the games in ancient Greece.

“The Olympic Games represent one of the most evocative moments of celebration of our unity as human beings in pursuit of noble ideas,” said Mandela, who joined several others Wednesday in signing a document to back the Olympic truce. “Among those ideas is the quest for global peace.”

Since stepping down as South African president in 1999, Mandela has become involved in peace negotiations in Africa and the Middle East. He’s on a weeklong visit to Greece.

When Athens was awarded the 2004 Olympics, the Greeks worked with the IOC to create the International Olympic Truce Center, which includes a symbolic home in Ancient Olympia one of the sites of the ancient games.