Spears is also being sued by the Japanese businessman

Masahiko Shizawa, 43, filed a lawsuit on Monday, alleging the search of his hotel room took away his dignity.

His action did not give details of how much he was seeking, but he is thought to have incurred legal costs of over $2m (�1.25m) during his earlier trial.

Police have not yet commented on Mr Shizawa's action.

The businessman is also suing the singer and her bodyguards for emotional distress, and is seeking unspecified damages from the pop star.

He was found guilty of stalking Spears, 21, by a Superior Court judge earlier this month.

Under the restraining order, Mr Shizawa is banned from coming closer than 300 metres away from Spears and must not contact her for the next three years.

'Harmless'

Spears sought a restraining order against the man in December 2002, saying he tried to contact her at two of her homes and her parent's house.

He also allegedly sent photos of himself and notes saying "I'm chasing you".

Mr Shizawa returned to Japan when his visa expired in December, but his lawyer said he wanted to resolve the issue so he could eventually return to the United States.

Simon Robert Hiller had argued that Mr Shizawa, a computer programmer and inventor, was harmless and the confusion arose from a cultural misunderstanding.

He said his client was a law-abiding citizen who was "in love" with Spears.