Legal Question in Employment Law in New York

Past employer continues using my name on website as contact and on company answe

I just learned that a company I quit working for in February 2000 is still using my name on the company website and on this company's answering machine as a sales contact. I want to know what action I can take in order to have them remove my name from both the website and answering machine immediately. What are my rights? Can I sue them?


Asked on 7/11/00, 10:34 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
David Wright Law Offices of David Wright

Re: Past employer continues using my name on website as contact and on company a

NY Civil Rights Law Sec 51 prohibits the use of another person's "likeness" for commercial purposes without their written consent, but I doubt that using one's name would be actionable under that statute. If it could be gotten within such a statute, it would make the claim much more viable to go to litigation, since it provides for an award of attorney fees which would not generally be available to you.

Certainly it's dissemination of false information, possibly unfair competition (from the perspective of your new firm).

Sounds like best approach is a letter.

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Answered on 9/09/00, 5:30 am


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