"Because both MRA’s alleged videotapes and advertisementsare noncommercial speech entitled to full First Amendment protection,"Florida law cannot be interpreted to prohibit them, the complaintsaid. However, even Floridalaw, the complaint says, does not support such a claim. The motion asserts that the plaintiffs inappropriatelyinvoked Florida law, since neither the Mardi Gras celebrationnor the making of the video took place there. The production company filed a motion to dismiss the case inNovember. " has suffered embarrassment, humiliation, mentalpain and suffering and the invasion of her privacy, and will continueto so suffer permanently in the future as a result of" thevideo and its advertisements, the complaint alleged. The suit asks for unspecifieddamages, costs and an injunction to stop sales of the video inwhich Gritzke appears. Gritzke’s complaint in state circuit court alleges the videopublisher used her likeness for a commercial purpose without herconsent, and that selling footage of her at Mardi Gras - whereshe admitted to having taken off her shirt in public - constitutedan invasion of privacy under Florida law. The tapes, whichcollect footage of college-aged girls at events like Mardi Grasand spring break, are published by California-based M.R.A. Under terms of the deal, the Los Angeles charges against MRA will be dismissed after three years if the company fully complies with the record-keeping laws and fully pays the fines.FLORIDA - A college student featured on the cover ofa "Girls Gone Wild" video has sued the makers of thevideo for invasion of privacy and unauthorized use of her image.īecky Lynn Gritzke, a business major at Florida State University,appeared in the 2000 Mardi Gras edition of the video and was alsoused on its cover, its Web site, and in television commercialsfor the product, according to court documents. The case does not shut down "Girls Gone Wild." "Mantra takes these issues very seriously and has done everything it can to make sure this never occurs again." The charges involved "serious record-keeping issues that occurred several years ago," he told the wire service. Officials said Francis will pay $500,000 and his firms, Mantra and MRA Holdings, will together pay $1.6 million.Īn attorney for Mantra, Aaron Dyer, told The Associated Press that the company would clean up its record keeping. "Today's agreements ensure that Girls Gone Wild will comply with an important law designed to prevent the sexual exploitation of minors and puts other producers on notice that they must be in compliance as well," said Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher. The law, which prosecutors call Section 2257 - is intended to protect minors by requiring producers to create and maintain age and identity records for every performer in sexually explicit movies and other media.ĭistributors also must label their tapes and discs with the name of the custodian of the records and their location, prosecutors said. The Justice Department said the case is the first filed under a law designed to prevent the sexual exploitation of children. The company also admitted it failed to label its videotapes and DVDs as required by federal law.Ĭourt documents say the alleged violations occurred during productions titled "Ultimate Spring Break," "Girls Gone Wild on Campus Uncensored," "Totally Exposed Uncensored and Beyond," and "Girls Gone Wild College Girls Exposed/Sexy Sorority Sweethearts." Mantra Films specifically pleaded guilty in Florida to charges that it failed to create and maintain age and identity documents for performers. The "Girls Gone Wild" videotapes - often featuring young women heavily partying and baring their breasts - are widely advertised on some cable television channels. Mantra Films of Santa Monica, California, entered a plea agreement in a federal court in Panama City, Florida, the Justice Department said.Īuthorities said Joseph Francis, founder of Mantra Films and a related company, MRA Holdings, also agreed to plead guilty to charges to be filed later in Los Angeles, and to pay fines and restitution totaling $2.1 million. WASHINGTON (CNN) - The entertainment company that produces the "Girls Gone Wild" films and its founder pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges they failed to document the ages of female performers in sexually oriented productions.
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