Last hope for Goldmember

Mike Myers plays four roles in his new film

Talks are continuing over calling the next Austin Powers movie Goldmember, despite previous legal protests from the holders of the James Bond licence, reports say.

Talks are still ongoing despite the fact that MGM and United Artists acted to stop the proposed title being used by New Line Cinema, said trade newspaper Variety.

The studios protested the name was too close to Goldfinger, the 1964 Bond adventure.

Although no deal has been signed, New Line is expected to be allowed to use the name, on condition that trails for the new Bond film are run at Austin Powers screenings.

Austin Powers became a cult hit on video

Ultimately the decision will be down to the Broccoli family, which holds the James Bond licence.

A parody law approved by the MPAA allows spoofs to play around with titles.

But MGM and United Artists complained to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), that the title infringed on its intellectual property rights.

The MPAA ruled against New Line, meaning it had to recall trailers and posters from the US and UK.

An appeal was lost when New Line failed to follow proper procedures after MGM and UA filed the petition calling for its ban.

Heather Graham co-starred in the second Austin Powers movie

Variety said the new deal, if reached, would see a compromise agreed before the release date of 26 July.

The pact would mean the 20th Bond movie, Die Another Day, would be trailed on both the Austin Powers film and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, at the expense of New Line.

MGM and UA appear to be fighting a losing battle to prevent the Austin Powers franchise from aping Bond titles.

It is believed New Line plans to continue using the Bond titles in forthcoming instalments of the comedy.

Bond's producers unsuccessfully contested the title of Myers's last movie, The Spy Who Shagged Me - a spoof on 007 movie The Spy Who Loved Me.

Cult audience

The new movie is the third to feature Mike Myers's comic creation - a spoof British spy from the 1960s.

But new management at MGM opted to take a tougher line when opposing the use of Goldmember.

The were said to be particularly irritated at a part of the trailer in which Myers's character is painted in sparkling gold, the trademark of the Bond film.

Myers' creation first hit the big screen in 1997's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.

The movie, which also starred Elizabeth Hurley, was a modest hit, but built up a cult audience on video.