State Court Affirms Model’s Right to Sue for Unauthorized Use of Her Photo in an AIDS Public Service Advertisement

New York Supreme Court Justice Anil C. Singh rejected a motion by an “image distributor” to dismiss a model’s lawsuit seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the unauthorized publication of her picture in a public service advertisement placed in print media by the New York State Division of Human Rights to inform people living with HIV about legal protection from discrimination. The March 6 ruling was published in The New York Law Journal on March … <Read More>


Federal Court Affirms $4.5 Million Damage Award Against Andrew Shirvell

United States District Judge Arthur J. Tarnow has affirmed a jury verdict of $4.5 million against Andrew Shirvell on September 11.  Shirvell is the homophobic former Michigan assistant attorney general who the jury found committed various wrongful acts against Christopher Armstrong, a gay man who was at the time the newly-elected student body president at the University of Michigan.  Judge Tarnow  denied Shirvell’s motions for judgment as a matter of law, for a new trial, … <Read More>