Kournikova,the social virus.
Matthew X
profrv at nex.net.au
Thu Aug 29 05:56:14 PDT 2002
Penthouse Readers Sue Over Kournikova
They wanted to see Anna naked. They didn't see Anna naked. Hence a class
action has been filed in Chicago by readers who bought the June issue of
Penthouse magazine, saying they were defrauded by the promise of nude
photos of tennis star Anna Kournikova. The magazine buyers said they paid
for the magazine based on a headline, "Exclusive Anna Kournikova Caught
Close Up on Nude Beach." But they did not get what they paid for. The
photos are those of another woman, Judith Soltesz-Benetton. Both women have
since sued the magazine and its publisher over the mistake.
The class action suit was brought against General Media Communications
Inc., publisher of Penthouse which has a monthly circulation of 654,000. As
a result of the deceptive headline, according to the complaint, Penthouse
was able to double its circulation for the month of June to nearly 1.2
million. Penthouse also raised the newsstand price for that one issue from
$7.99 to $8.99. The photographs in question were taken in Florida by a
jewelry salesman videotaping sunbathers, says the complaint. He was
approached by General Media Communications Inc. who analyzed the video
stills declaring the images of Kournikova to be authentic, according to the
complaint. As early as April, the tennis star, through her agents, denied
that they were authentic, but Penthouse published the photographs anyway
more than a month later.
The action was filed in Chancery Court in Cook County by Aron Robinson, a
sole practitioner, on behalf of those who bought the Kournikova issue at
newsstands. The complaint claimed breach of contract, consumer fraud and
breach of express warranty, and makes a general claim for reimbursement of
the price of the magazine to the class.
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