Yahoo, accused of stealing a photo
Shannon Stovall, a resident of Ohio's Cuyahoga County, alleged in a court complaint that Yahoo embedded his photo in a welcome e-mail being sent to new users. In said complaint Stovall demands $20 million from Yahoo for allegedly using her photo without consent. Ten million dollars is asked by Stovall to compensate for profits that have been allegedly generated by use of her likeness, and another ten million to cover attorneys' fees and litigation expenses.
Stovall said she discovered the photo taken of her upon signing up for Yahoo's Web-based e-mail service last October. The message has this headline: "Hooray! Your first e-mail." The headline was complemented by a photo of 2 women – one of which, according to Stovall, was her.
The complaint also charges that the photo has been sent to millions of Yahoo users around the globe without Stovall's consent thus violating her right to privacy and right to publicity, which include but not limited to the control over the commercial use of her identity.
When asked to comment about the complaint, a Yahoo representative said that the company is not allowed to comment on "specifics related to legal cases." It can be recalled that Tom Brady, new england patriots quarterback, also lodged similar complaint against Yahoo in December. He alleged that company used a photo of him from the September 2006 issue of Sports Illustrated without his consent.
