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ADULT SUPERSTAR VICKY VETTE SCORES LEGAL VICTORY IN BATTLE AGAINST PENTHOUSE’S ONLINE DATING GIANT ADULTFRIENDFINDER
"I’m Not GROOVY232 in Your Neighborhood"! Says the Star
Adult Superstar & current XBIZ Webstar of the Year 2012 Vicky Vette (http://www.twitter.com/vickyvette & http://www.vickyathome.com) has just scored a significant legal win in her battle against online dating giant AdultFriendFinder & Danni.com (owned by Penthouse). Vette sued AdultFriendFinder (& Danni.com) arising out of claims AdultFriendFinder is stealing her likeness to use on thousands of worldwide banners and advertisements identifying her as ‘Groovy232’ looking for a ‘date’. Vette asserts that AdultFriendFinder is actively using pictures of a number of adult stars without their consent, knowledge or payment, to lure members of the general public into joining dating websites. On Thursday, March 29, 2012, a Court in Los Angeles completely denied a Motion by AdultFriendFinder & Danni.com to dismiss Vette’s case and is allowing the popular star’s claims to proceed to trial. AdultFriendFinder argued in a Motion filed with the Court that the image of Vette it used for banners was shot by Vette for Danni.com & that it got the permission from Danni.com to use her picture. Vette is one of the world’s best known adult stars. She is the #1 Followed Active adult star on twitter with over 286,000 followers. She is the #1 Followed Norwegian in the world as is in the top 1700 followed twitter users worldwide. Vette was recently nominated by AVN for Solo Girl Website of the Year 2012 was named by XBIZ as one of the Top 100 Newsmakers in adult in 2011.
Vicky Vette is quoted as saying: "I’m thrilled we won this significant ruling & that AdultFriendFinder can’t use model releases to get the case dismissed. I shot for Danni.com to be their Girl of the Month – not to be used as bait in AdultFriendFinder. No, I’m NOT Groovy232…. and no….. I am not in El Paso, Tucson, Santa Clarita or anywhere else seeking a casual fling in your neighborhood (*shock*). It is outrageous that AdultFriendFinder can think it it’s ok to use my image without even letting me know. I think it’s a scam on me & the general public. I am not sure where this ranks in the ‘annals’ of jurisprudence but I am happy with the result in Court. I know of at least three other girls in the business they are doing the exact same thing to, including Bibi Jones, Carmen Valentina & Gisele. I had nothing but respect for Danni and Penthouse (which owns AdultFriendFinder) so I am a bit stunned they would treat adult stars this way. They should pay girls if they are going to put them in advertising saying things like ‘Gets Double Teamed’. You’d think someone would have called me saying ‘hey, do you mind if we put you on thousands of worldwide websites saying you are looking for a ‘date’?’ I can’t wait for my day in Court and thank the Judge for giving it to me."
Vette is represented by Beverly Hills attorney Michael Kernan, Esq. who added, "Lots of adult Companies think they can do anything they want with a model release, but they do not understand release language. Endorsement language is very specific, and it is not in most model releases. AdultFriendFinder argued it had model releases barring any claims, but the Court was not convinced anything covered the image in question. Anyone who may have seen Vette’s images in AdultFriendFinder advertising are also encouraged to contact my office at MKernan@Kernanlaw.Net."
The matter is anticipated to proceed to trial sometime this year. FriendFinder announced last week that its CEO Marc Bell was stepping down on the heels of a $10million loss for the 4th quarter of 2011. It has been trying to go public since May 2011. Vette comments "Maybe AdultFriendFinder and the companies that run it are trying to save a few bucks by not paying the models they use as the face of their websites. You’d think they would want to take care of girls they use to get them memberships."
Vicky Vette can be reached for comment at:
http://www.twitter.com/vickyvette
Vicky@Vickyathome.com
http://www.vnagirls.com
I’ve seen ads for AFF that show Gianna Michaels too as some housewife. When I saw that I knew they were not a legit company. Either that or Gianna has a twin sister she doesn’t know about.
This will all come down to the model release.
My model releases give me total ownership forever to do with as I please.
Should I decide to sell the photos to AFF as stock content for them to use for any reason they want, I can do that…..I wouldnt but I could, legally.
Be interesting to see how this one plays out
Good for Vicki Vette. I have seen the same pop-ups in Chatsworth as I have seen in Palm Desert and Fort Lauderdale. They show a bevershot of a pornstar from Chatsworth saying “Hi Honey I am in ———– ( the same town my laptop is in) and go to AFF to meet me.” What is super funny is that they use pictures from 20some years ago!! I saw one pop-up of Rhonda Jo Petty taken in the golden era. Just how lame is that!!
What?? AFF has fake profiles? No Way!!
Congrats Vicky!
It’s not uncommon to find this happening on their site. I’ve seen it happen first hand to a chat host from ifriends who’s content mysteriously ended up on AFF and in their banners at that. She had never worked on any of the FFN sites and certainly never gave them permission to use her content for their promotional materials or to make fake profiles.
I hope more models/chat host sue when this happens to them, its a slam dunk case as AFF is profiting off of their likeness illegally. You think FFN legal team (or lack their of) would know better than to allow this to happen, but then again this is the same crew that ok’ed them on using a site call “Facebook of Sex” LMAO. Don’t need a law license to know that is going to end bad. Morons.