Scary Spice Melanie Brown will not be appearing on Channel Nine's Australia's Got Talent anytime soon, at least not until the end of January 2014. A judge has ordered an injunction, banning her from working for any Australian networks other than Channel Seven.

NSW Supreme Court Justice David Hammerschlag found on Thursday that the Spice Girl signed an exclusive agreement with Seven until January 31, 2014. The contract effectively prevents her from appearing on the channel's rival stations, including Nine, which approached her to appear on their reality TV talent show.

"Seven was keen, and I accept remains keen and willing, to employ Mel in the manner originally contemplated. The problem is with Mel," Sydney Morning Herald quoted the judge as saying. "Under the agreement, Mel has an obligation to provide her exclusive services to Seven and Seven is entitled to her performance of this obligation."

"I see no reason why she should not be ordered to keep her word that she would not work for anyone but Seven in Australia in 2013."

Seven launched the legal procedure when Mel B signed with Nine to become a judge on AGT while she is still under contract with them to appear on their own talent programme The X Factor.

Mel B signed the contract with Nine, believing that she was a free agent because she would not be appearing on The X Factor this year.

It was heard in court that Brad Lyons, the head of production in Seven, learned that Mel B would not be returning to their show in January when her husband and agent Stephen Belafonte told him that she was having custody issues with the fathers of her children.

Mel B decided to not appear on the talent show because American comedian Eddie Murphy, with whom she has a daughter, refused to sign a consent form that would allow their daughter Angel Iris to get an Australian visa. Another father of one of her children refused to give her consent to bring their child to Australia as well.

Belafonte told Seven that he wasn't willing to pay the costs of taking Murphy to court. And unless that network is willing to pay for their legal fees, he wasn't going to force Murphy to sign the consent documents in court.

Seven did not finance the case, leading Mel B to pull out of the 2013 season of The X Factor.

Nine will have to find a replacement for Mel B for AGT, while Seven is still yet to announce whether it will have the singer return to The X Factor.