Hollywood Docket: User Says Facebook's New Ad System Violates Privacy

Posted by Matthew Heller

Case: Harris v. Blockbuster Inc., Case No. 08-CV-155 (USDC, E. Texas), filed April 9

Claims: Violation of Video Privacy Protection Act

Allegations: Class action plaintiff Cathryn Harris is a registered user of Blockbuster Online and Facebook. As part of its participation in Facebook's new "Beacon" advertising system, Blockbuster has "knowingly distributed Plaintiffs' and class members' video tape rental and sale records to third parties who did not have the informed, written consent of Plaintiffs or class members at the time of disclosure." Defendant's acts violate the Video Privacy Protection Act since the records constitute "personal identifiable information."

Filing attorney: Jeremy Wilson, The Corea Firm, Dallas

To view the complaint, click here.

Case: Sears v. National Geographic Society, Case No. 08-CV-10617 (USDC, Mass.), filed April 10

Claims: Trademark infringement, false designation of origin

Allegations: Since 1995, plaintiff author Dr. Barry Sears has written several diet books prominently featuring the word "Zone" in the title. National Geographic's use of the same word in a nutrition and health book entitled "The Blue Zone" is "likely to cause confusion, mistake, and deception among Plaintiffs' customers, potential customers, and the general public, to the irreparable harm and detriment of Plaintiffs and the substantial goodwill they have developed in the Zone marks."

Filing attorney: David Hosp, Goodwin Procter, Boston

To view the complaint, click here.