An unsigned London Ska band who created a cult internet music video featuring a dancing cat dressed as a ninja is considering legal action against Coca-Cola after accusing the soft drink giant of copying their idea in a television commercial.

Seven Seconds of Love claim the advert, which aired in Argentina, resembles the animated video they created to accompany their single Ninja, and that the music played in the advert also sounds like their work.

The band, who published the video on MySpace and YouTube, have hired Olswang, the prominent London media law firm, to advise them on their options.

Joel Veitch, 32, the the band’s lead singer, said: "We’d heard about a Ninja-style Coke TV ad from fans in Argentina. Some people believed we must have made it.

"When they put the campaign online and we saw it for the first time we just couldn’t believe the resemblance. It’s not just the music, but the visual style too - our collective jaws dropped."

Lawyers at Olswang believe the band has a case against the global drinks giant for "blatant copyright infringement" but Mr Veitch, a freelance animator, insisted the band was still considering its options.

"We’re just a bunch of blokes from London. They’re the biggest brand in the world", he said.

Coca-Cola Argentina said the advert was arranged by a local agency that had assured the drinks group it was original material.

"We are surprised by the alleged claim and deeply regret being associated with this unusual and unexpected debate," the company said.

The six-member band, whose drummer is called Skankhammer, only found out about the Coca-Cola video after several South American fans emailed them to point out the similarity.

To watch the Ninja video click here. For more information on the band click here.

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