US court revives suit against Facebook over TV host’s image

By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A federal appeals court has revived a Philadelphia newscaster’s lawsuit against Facebook over the unauthorized use of her image in advertisements for dating sites and sex-related products that ran on the site. A divided panel concluded that Facebook is not immune from Fox 29 host Karen Hepp’s claim that the advertisements violated her right to control her public image and reputation. U.S. Circuit Judge Thomas Hardiman says her suit falls under the narrow carveout for intellectual property claims under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The case is being closely watched by interest groups on both sides of the fight over third-party content regulation.