ABC/Randy Holmes(NEW YORK) — If you’re tired of seeing fake ads featuring equally fake endorsements made by Ellen DeGeneres or Sandra Bullock, you’re in luck. The two are teaming up to eradicate those pesky eyesores once and for all.
The Hollywood Reporter writes that the pair filed a joint lawsuit against 100 anonymous defendants, both individuals and entities, on Wednesday. The criminal complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court aims to “expose the Celebrity Endorsement Theft Industry.”
Meaning, Bullock and DeGeneres want to take down websites or sellers who use their likeness without their authorization in order to increase traffic or sales. The women say their images and personas are mostly used to push beauty wares like anti-aging serums and weight-loss products.
Their biggest concern is the fact that these websites are operating without their consent and, therefore, violating their rights by engaging in false advertising.
Bullock and DeGeneres used “actual examples taken from the Internet” to bolster their case, which showcases websites “designed to look like legitimate and independent news reports or magazine articles about various Beauty products.”
The joint lawsuit alleges the fake sites “feature comments and endorsements purportedly from Bullock and DeGeneres — all of which are fake and fraudulent and published without Plaintiffs’ consent.”
While the pair are seeking compensatory damages, it is unknown how much they are asking for. The two also request an injunction on those named in their lawsuit.
Bullock and DeGeneres are represented by attorneys from Kinsella Weitzman and Lavely & Singer.
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