DeGeneres and Bullock File Lawsuit Over Fake Endorsements
Ellen DeGeneres and Sandra Bullock are collaborating to fight the bitter celebrity-endorsement theft industry which has been plaguing the internet.
Their goal is to crack down on this horrendous advertising and expose these anonymous individuals who fraudulently use celebrities' names to endorse health and beauty products without consent.
The two celebrities are filing a lawsuit to combat these entities, which earn money by directing traffic to e-commerce sites in the multi-billion affiliate marketing industry. They are accused of using fake quotes and images by the stars in an effort to peddle everything from miracle weight loss solutions to anti-aging creams.
The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
The celebrities' lawyers are currently seeking an injunction and compensatory damages.
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Two Celebrities Are Fighting Back
Sandra and Ellen are fed up with these companies using their star power for fake endorsements. They are vowing for this deceptive marketing practice to end immediately.
The lawsuit claims that an ad for an anti-aging cream used an image of Bullock appearing on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' alongside fake dialogue, according to the suit.
The ads also offer fake "risk-free" trials where customers allegedly only pay for shipping but are then hit with the total cost unless they cancel the order within a certain amount of time, according to the lawsuit.
They appear as real news articles but they are fake and should never be tolerated. They are meant to bombard the average consumer with misleading ads and target them into thinking that the product is legitimate and is actually endorsed by the individual celebrity when it really isn't.
These companies only care about one goal, making money and duping consumers. They never bother to obtain permission from the celebrity to actually endorse their products.
The actress and the talk show host are being targeted by multiple scammers "because of their age, their unimpeachable reputation for honesty and having worked hard at maintaining a healthy and youthful look, which con artists believe will attract and scam unwitting customers."
Lawsuits are not the only effective way to stop these frauds. There must be regulations in place made by legislators.
The Better Business Bureau says that these online scams cost consumers an average of 1.3 billion per year.
These companies change names frequently, merge in and out of various entities, and form in states that allow for secrecy. They operate websites that pop up and disappear overnight, and generally do everything possible to 'stay one step ahead of game.'
If the lawsuit is successful, Bullock and DeGeneres will both receive compensation for damages.
