Jury awards former model US$15.6m for old image

A jury has awarded US$15.6 million ($22.3 million) to a man whose image was used for years without his permission on Taster's Choice coffee labels.

Russell Christoff, 58, a former model from Northern California, posed for a two-hour Nestle photo shoot in 1986 but figured it was a dud - until he stumbled across his likeness on a coffee jar in 2002.

The company's US$100,000 settlement offer was declined, and Nestle USA turned down his offer to settle for US$8.5 million.