Fraudulent Use of Celebrity Images Results in Large Settlement

A local judge was surprised to find a friend of his - a professional golfer – on a brochure "endorsing" an herbal supplement that was touted as a means for both preventing prostate cancer and enhancing sexual function. When the judge contacted him about this apparent endorsement of the product, which had never been tested or vetted by the FDA or any other regulatory agency, his friend was equally surprised to see his image on the brochure. Further investigation by the Clore Law Group found a number of Hall of Fame athletes and other well-known individuals whose images were being used for false "endorsements" of the product. After numerous telephone calls and letters to the addresses listed on the brochures were ignored, investigative work revealed a mailing address in California, and lawsuits were served. It was also discovered that millions of these brochures had been mailed out to the most affluent zip codes in the country. Clore Law Group deposed the head of the company, and during questioning an ongoing IRS criminal fraud investigation against a number of his holdings was specifically referenced. Within weeks of the deposition, a significant confidential settlement sum was obtained for all of the clients who had been defrauded.