Monthly Archives: September 2016

Good Vibrations

** Class Plaintiff not Feeling Data Collection Practices of Intimate Personal Consumer Products Maker **

By: Brent E. Johnson                                                                                                                                             _

Digital Data Privacy Protection Searching Concept

In the “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” file is the putative class action filed on September 2, 2016 against Standard Innovation (U.S.) Corp. in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.  N.P. v. Standard Innovation (US) Corp. d/b/a We-Vibe, Case No. 1:16-cv-08655, (N.D. Ill. Sept. 2, 2016). According to the complaint, Standard Innovation “is a ‘sensual lifestyle products’ company that sells a high-end vibrator called the We-Vibe.”  The We-Vibe distinguishes itself from its competitors in the marketplace by its smart phone application – “We-Connect,” which can be downloaded from Apple App and Google Play stores.  Why would one care to download such an application?  According to the complaint, “With We-Connect, users can ‘pair’ their smartphone to the We-Vibe, allowing them — and their partners — remote control over the vibrator’s customizable settings and features” – bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase, “phone sex.”  For those who like to teeter on the cutting edge, this technology is referred to as “teledildonics.”  — Seriously.

The problem?  According to the complaint, “Unbeknownst to its customers . . . Defendant designed We-Connect to (i) collect and record highly intimate and sensitive data regarding consumers’ personal We-Vibe use, including the date and time of each use and the selected vibration settings, and (ii) transmit such usage data — along with the user’s personal email address—to its servers in Canada.”  While Americans may be jaded to the systematic gathering and exploitation of their personal information by internet companies for marketing purposes, this case asks the question: “Is our choice of the ‘pulse,’ ‘wave,’ ‘echo,’ ‘tide,’ ‘crest,’ ‘bounce,’ ‘surf,’ ‘peak,’ or ‘cha cha cha’ settings of our ‘sensual lifestyle products’ anybody’s business but our own (and our digital partner’s)?”

The complaint alleges causes of action for violation of the federal Wiretap Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510, et seq.; the Illinois Eavesdropping Statute, 720 ILCS 5/14-1 et seq.; the common law tort of intrusion upon seclusion; and violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practice Act,815 ILCS 505/1 et seq.  The eavesdropping claims are premised on the allegation that “Defendant designed and programmed We-Connect to continuously and contemporaneously intercept and monitor the contents of electronic communications that customers send to their We-Vibe devices from their smartphones, such as operational instructions regarding the users’ desired vibration intensity level and desired vibration ‘mode’ or pattern.”  In other words, Standard Innovation intercepts communications between a user’s cell phone and his or her vibrator.  Plaintiff’s consumer fraud claim arises from the “connect lover” feature of We-Connect that allows “partners [to] exchange text messages, engage in video chats, and . . . control a paired We-Vibe device.”  When a device user initiates a We-Connect session, the screen encourages: “Connect and share control of your We-Vibe from anywhere.  Create a secure connection between your smartphones.”  The complaint alleges that this screen lulls the user into a false sense of security and fails to disclose Standard Innovation’s data collection practices.

The collection of personal data transmitted between devices through an application and representations regarding user privacy make this a “sexy” case – and one to watch.

The New Naturals

** Where are Class Action Claims Against Consumer Food and Personal Product Companies Trending in 2016?**

By: Brent E. Johnson

 

PrintWe have blogged in the past about some of the “usual suspects” in the consumer class action line-up – particularly for food, beverage, cosmetics and related industries – for example, the “all-natural” case – the “evaporated cane juice” case – and the “handmade” or “craft beer” case.   Trends come and go – as Plaintiffs run out of companies to sue and as companies change their labeling and advertising in response to the litigation risks.

Which begs the question:  Where are the current litigation trends leading?  We have surveyed recent filings to identify some of the tropes and traps that plaintiffs lawyers are currently focusing on:

As we have discussed in the past, the attractiveness of the all-natural class claim lies in the gaps between FDA guidance and labeling law and the vagaries of the reasonable consumer standardThat gap may be closing with the FDA taking comments and perhaps looking to expand its policy on “natural” foods.  As the term “Natural” loses some of its vagueness, the term “healthy” appears to be taking its place – particularly in so far as the term has the required “eye of the beholder” quality necessary to support class action claims (although in some respects the term “healthy” is regulated see e.g.,  21 CFR 101.65(d)(2)) .  For example in  Kaufman v. CVS Caremark Corp., No. 16-1199, 2016 WL 4608131, at *1 (1st Cir. Sept. 6, 2016) (reversing district court dismissal on Rule 12), CVS Pharmacy, Inc. was sued for its Vitamin E dietary supplement because its label touts the product as supporting “heart health.”  Plaintiff argues that this is misleading because the medical literature does not support a link between consuming vitamin E and cardiovascular health.  Kaufman v. CVS Caremark Corp., No. CV 14-216-ML, 2016 WL 347324, at *1 (D.R.I. Dkt. No. 1 at 7) (and in some studies cited by Plaintiff – Vitamin E dosage increases the rate of heart failure).  In Hunter v. Nature’s Way Prod., LLC, No. 16CV532-WQH-BLM, 2016 WL 4262188, at *1 (S.D. Cal. Aug. 12, 2016) (denying motion to dismiss), Plaintiff alleges that Nature’s Way’s coconut oil is advertised with various health claims (such as its “Variety of Healthy Uses”, “ideal for exercise & weight loss programs”, “fuel a[] healthy lifestyle”), but according to Plaintiff, coconut oil products are not “healthy” . . . “but rather their consumption causes increased risk of CHD, stroke, and other morbidity.” (Dkt. No. 1-5 Compl. at ¶ 118).  In Campbell v. Campbell Soup Co., No 3:16-cv-01005 (S.D. Cal. August 8, 2016) (Dkt 18) (Def. Mot. to Dismiss), Campbell’s Soup Co is defending against Plaintiff’s claims that its Healthy Request® soups are not “healthy” because they contains partially hydrogenated oil (PHO).  Notably, Campbell’s soups are somewhat unique from other food labelling cases because they contain more than 2% meat or poultry and therefore are USDA regulated (see 21 U.S.C. § 451, et seq.) and their labelling is pre-approved (see 21 U.S.C. § 457; accord 21 U.S.C. § 607).  Campbell’s has doubled-down on that argument – moving for Rule 11 sanctions.  No 3:16-cv-01005 (S.D. Cal. August 29, 2016) (Dkt 18).  In Lanovaz v. Twinings N. Am., Inc., No. 5:12-CV-02646-RMW (N.D. Cal. September 6, 2016) (dismissing remaining claims), Twinings successfully defended against claims that the labeling of its tea as a “healthy tea drinking experience” and having “antioxidant” benefits were misleading.  In particular Plaintiff claimed that Twinings’ health benefits could not be substantiated and  were contrary to FDA regulations.  No. 5:12-CV-02646-RMW (N.D. Cal. Dkt. Nos. 1, 24).  It appears that “Healthy” is the new “Natural.”

Plaintiff’s lawyers are also taking a close look at ingredients – to determine if touted anchor ingredients are prominent enough.  For example in Coe v. Gen. Mills, Inc., No. 15-CV-05112-TEH, 2016 WL 4208287, at *1 (N.D. Cal. Aug. 10, 2016) (Order denying Mot. to Dismiss), Plaintiffs argued (successfully at the pleading stage) that General MillsCheerios Protein product labeling is misleading because it implies that the product is essentially the same as normal Cheerios but with added protein.  While Plaintiffs acknowledge that Cheerios Protein does have more protein than regular Cheerios (Plaintiffs calculate that 200 calories of Cheerios contains 6 grams of protein, whereas 200 grams of Cheerios Protein contains 6.4 or 6.7 grams of protein), they argue that this smidgen of an increase is so immaterial as to be misleading.  In another example, in Nazari v. Gen. Mills, Inc., No. 2:16-cv-02015 (E.D. Cal. Aug. 23, 2016), the Plaintiff sued Target with a proposed class action alleging the retailer’s up & up™ Green Aloe Vera Gel lacks traces of Aloe Vera.  Plaintiff alleges that while the product is labelled as an “aloe vera gel” with “pure aloe vera,” its laboratory testing (which it contends would have revealed acemannan, the key compound in aloe vera) could detect no active aloe ingredient.  In another example, in Torrent v. Thierry Oliver., No. 2:15-cv-02511 (C.D. Cal. Sept. 2, 2016) (denying motion to dismiss), Plaintiff survived dismissal on claims that Natierra brand Himalania Goji berries are misleadingly labeled because they are not berries from the Himalayan mountain region in China – which was inferred by the “Himalania” brand name.  In labelling, as in everything else, attention to detail counts.

We will update you on these trends as they progress.

Lawyers Don’t Always Win

** Purported Class of Lawyers Suing for Misappropriation of Image and Likeness Fails at First Hurdle  **

By: Brent E. Johnson

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  crsfkvk5jmarrd3ls7emnw-avvo_logo-color_blue_taglineBucking the popular notion that the legal system protects its own – a recent putative class action in Illinois bought by and for a class of lawyers – failed.  Vrdolyak v. Avvo, Inc., No. 16 C 2833, 2016 WL 4765716, at *1 (N.D. Ill. Sept. 12, 2016).  The defendant in the lawsuit,  Avvo.com, publishes a directory that includes “profile pages” for millions of U.S. attorneys.   Most lawyers, however, have never asked avvo.com to create profile pages for them – let alone had any input into them (or even know they exist) – rather the machine generated profiles are created using data gleaned from public records such as bar admissions and court records.  The generated “profile page” contains identifying information and a rating calculated by an algorithm (which, rather crudely, primarily uses the number of years in practice as its measure).  But some lawyers purchase from avvo.com special “sponsored listings” which promote their avvo.com profile above the unwashed mass.  It appears that avvo.com’s business model relies on its critical mass of (involuntary) profiles and the ability to allow lawyers willing to pay a fee, to appear more prominently (i.e. what Google does!).  Plaintiff John Vrdolyak (a University of Chicago law school graduate) cried foul.  He claimed that his identity (and that of every other involuntarily avvo.com profiled lawyer) was misappropriated for commercial purposes without consent in violation of the Illinois Right of Publicity Act (“IRPA”), 765 ILCS 1075/1 et seq.

The Court sided with avvo.com – agreeing with its argument that the profile pages were speech that is fully protected by the First Amendment.  The court reasoned that what avvo.com does is akin to a yellow pages directory, which receives First Amendment protection.  Dex Media West, Inc. v. City of Seattle, 696 F.3d 952, 962 (9th Cir. 2012) (concluding that publications like yellow pages directories and newspapers receive full First Amendment protection because, as a threshold matter, they do not constitute commercial speech.)  The Court also analogized the avvo.com profiles to those of a magazine, like Sports Illustrated, that publishes non-commercial information (i.e. articles about athletes) and sells and places advertisements within and around that information.  The articles are fully protected non-commercial speech – the advertisements are (less protected) commercial speech.  In this case the “Sponsored Listings” were the commercial speech – but they were authorized and not at issue.  Those profiles that were at issue – the unauthorized profiles – were protected speech and their placement with the sponsored listing did not convert the entire website into commercial speech – the court opined.  Gallingly, the court not only refused to side with the lawyers – but used the Constitution to do so.