SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - Jason Fry filed a federal class action complaint on September 7 in the Western District of Washington against PeopleConnect, Inc. for violation of Indiana's Right of Publicity Statute and violation of Indiana Common Law Tort - Misappropriation of Name and Likeness.
Fry alleges that PeopleConnect or the website it owns and operates, Classmates.com, is using old photographs of Fry and the class as minor children to advertise paid subscriptions to Classmates.com.
Fry alleges that he did not consent to Classmates using his photographs to promote Classmates.com subscriptions and products, nor did he consent to Classmates sharing his photographs as minors to a worldwide audience on the Internet.
Classmates promises the viewer that purchasing a paid subscription to Classmates.com will reveal the full versions of Plaintiff’s and class members’ photographs and personal information, the suit says.
By using Fry's and Class members’ photographs as minor children in its advertising, Fry alleges that Classmates misleads the public into believing Plaintiff and class members are Classmates.com users, willingly shared their personal information with Classmates.com, and endorse Classmates’ subscriptions and products.
Fry seeks a declaration that Classmates’ acts and omissions constitute a knowing, willful, and intentional misappropriation of names, likeness, photographs, images, and other personal information, and infringe on protected privacy rights, in violation of Indiana law; nominal damages, preliminary and permanent injunctive relief, restitution, attorney's fees and cost of suit. Fry is represented by Samuel J. Strauss.
U.S. District Court Western District of Washington case number 2:21-cv-01222-RSM