MILAN?George Clooney stars in a real-life courtroom drama on July 16 when he appears at the trial of three people accused of usurping his name for a fashion label, a judge said on Monday.

The 49-year-old Hollywood heart-throb is to testify as a civil plaintiff at the trial in the Italian business and fashion capital Milan, judge Pietro Caccialanza said, the ANSA news agency reported.

"There will be a lot of people, I imagine," said Caccialanza, who ordered extra security to ensure that the trial goes ahead smoothly -- but who also promised Clooney's fans a chance "to come close to their hero".

ANSA did not release the names of the accused, but the case goes back to April 2008 when the trio -- accused of fraud, forgery and possession of stolen goods -- were organizing a fashion show in a Milan hotel.

Clooney's lawyer Grazia Maria Mantelli confirmed that her client will be in court.

The star of "Up In The Air" and "Ocean's Eleven" is regularly in Italy, where he has a villa on Lake Como, north of Milan, and dates Italian actress and model Elisabetta Canalis.