A US judge has ordered a company that sold a tape of Baywatch star Pamela Anderson and ex-husband Tommy Lee having sex to pay damages to the couple.

District judge Dean Pregerson in Los Angeles ruled on Tuesday the Internet Entertainment Group (IEG) should pay $741,000 (�484,000) to the couple as a share of the profits the company had made.

The tape - which was shot in 1996 - was allegedly stolen by workmen from the couple's home.

IEG then made copies of the tape, selling them for $15 (�10) each.

The company has since also released the footage on DVD.

Anderson and Lee - who divorced after three years of marriage - started legal action in 1998, claiming invasion of privacy and breach of copyright.

Anderson became famous for her lifeguard role on US series Baywatch

An earlier court hearing had ruled the couple could not ban publication of the video on privacy grounds because they had discussed it in detail on a radio programme.

Anderson, who came to fame as one of the lifeguards on the US show Baywatch, has also had problems with IEG over the publication of another tape.

This one featured her and an ex-boyfriend, singer Bret Michaels from the rock band Poison.

In May 2001, IEG was forced to pay Anderson and Michaels several hundred thousand dollars and had to destroy all copies of the tapes it had in its possession.