WASHINGTON (AP):

A U.S. judge ruled yesterday in favour of a South Korean dry cleaner who was sued for $54 million over a missing pair of pants in a case that garnered international attention and renewed calls for litigation reform.

The owners of Custom Cleaners did not violate the city's consumer protection act by failing to live up to Roy L. Pearson's expectations of the 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' sign that was once placed in the store window, District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff ruled.

Bartnoff ordered Pearson to pay the court costs of defendants Soo Chung, Jin Nam Chung and Ki Y. Chung. Those costs came to just over $1,000, according to the Chungs' attorney. A motion to recover the tens of thousands of dollars they spent in attorney fees will be considered later.

Pearson, an administrative law judge, originally sought $67 million from the Chungs after he claimed they lost a pair of trousers from a blue and maroon suit, then later tried to return a pair of charcoal grey pants that he said were not his. He arrived at the amount by adding up years of law violations and almost $2 million in common-law claims for fraud.

Pearson later dropped demands for damages related to the pants and focused his claims on signs in the shop, which have since been removed.