The makers of Oscar-nominated musical Dreamgirls have apologised to legendary record label Motown in an advert making clear the movie is a "work of fiction".
The full-page ads from film studio DreamWorks in movie trade papers The Hollywood Reporter and Daily Variety said sorry for "any confusion" caused.
A Motown spokesman said the film upset several artists who felt the label was falsely depicted in a negative light.
Dreamgirls is widely seen as a loose version of the story of The Supremes.
'Great legacy'
The objections led to "amicable discussions" between representatives for Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr, DreamWorks and its parent studio Paramount Pictures.
"Dreamgirls is a work of fiction. It is also an homage to Motown," the advert reads.
"For any confusion that has resulted from our fictional work, we apologise to Mr Gordy and all of the incredible people who were part of that great legacy.
"It is vital that the public understand that the real Motown story has yet to be told."
Mr Gordy said he was pleased with the advertisement.
"I applaud DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures for doing their part to clearly differentiate the fictional movie Dreamgirls from the real Motown," he said.
"I wish them all the best in the forthcoming Academy Awards."
Motown singer Smokey Robinson had complained about scenes he said depicted a Gordy-type character, played by Jamie Foxx.
Robinson criticised scenes in which the character, Curtis Taylor Jr, was seen launching his fictional record label with money from mobsters and engaging in the illegal practice of "payola" - when music producers pay radio stations to play their records.
But the DreamWorks advertisement makes no reference to this and it is not made clear what the "confusion" mentioned relates to.
The film, based on the hit Broadway musical of the same name, is nominated for eight Oscars including best supporting actor for Eddie Murphy and best supporting actress for Jennifer Hudson.
The winners will be announced on Sunday.
Motown, which was one of the most influential record labels in the 1960s, is now part for the Universal Music Group.
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