American Apparel Inc., the retailer sued by director Woody Allen for using his image on billboards without permission, can’t force him to turn over fan mail and other evidence of his public image, a judge ruled.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Griesa in Manhattan rejected as “overly broad” American Apparel’s request to make the 73-year- old Academy Award winner reveal documents related to past product endorsements, performances and interview transcripts. The retailer earlier argued Allen’s image was too tarnished from past scandals to justify his request for $10 million in damages.

Allen filed the trademark-infringement lawsuit in March 2008, accusing the Los Angeles-based retailer of wrongfully using an image of him dressed as an orthodox or Hasidic Jew from his 1977 movie “Annie Hall” online and on billboards in New York and Los Angeles for less than a week.

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