NEW YORK — Adult web model Melissa Midwest has joined a class action lawsuit against Match.com, claiming that the dating site allowed her copyrighted photos to be used on bogus profiles in order to boost its profits.
The class suit, first filed in November by Miami mainstream model Yuliana Avalos, has yet to be certified by the court, but is asking for $4.5 billion in compensatory and punitive damages and a restraining order requiring Match.com to implement facial recognition software to screen for unauthorized use of class members’ photos, as well as attorneys fees.
The suit, filed at New York federal court, accuses Match.com and affiliated sites of representing to subscribers that Midwest was and is a member of its websites, along with thousands of other models and others “who were never members of defendants’ online dating websites.”