Actress Sues Amazon for Revealing Real Age on IMDb

An unnamed actress is suing Amazon.com for more than $1 million for revealing her real age on Internet Movie Database by using information on her credit card, The Associated Press reports.
The woman — listed as Jane Doe — is alleging fraud, breach of contract, and violation of her private life and her consumer rights in the suit, which was filed Thursday in federal court in Seattle.

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According to the suit, the actress — who is of Asian descent with an Americanized stage name and lives in Texas — has had a profile on IMDb, which is owned by Amazon, since 2003. In 2008, she said she subscribed to the inside industry IMDbPro service using her credit card and personal details. Shortly afterward, she said she noticed her legal date of birth had been added to her public IMDb profile. She requested it to be removed, but IMDb refused."If one is perceived to be 'over-the-hill,' i.e., approaching 40, it is nearly impossible for an up-and-coming actress, such as the plaintiff, to get work as she is thought to have less of an 'upside,' therefore, casting directors, producers, directors, agents-manager, etc. do not give her the same opportunities, regardless of her appearance or talent," the lawsuit states.The lawsuit also says that the reveal has had a "double-whammy effect" on the livelihood of the actress. It seeks $75,000 in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages.

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"First, because lesser-known 40-year-old actresses are not in demand in the entertainment business, plaintiff has suffered a substantial decrease in acting credits, employment opportunities and earnings," it says. "Second, because plaintiff looks so much younger than her actual age indicates, plaintiff has experienced rejection in the industry for each '40-year-old' role for which she has interviewed."Amazon spokeswoman Mary Osako said the company does not comment on active litigation.