Florida Attorney General Sues Maker Of Caylee Anthony Doll
The Florida Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against Showbiz Promotions, LLC, maker of the Caylee Anthony doll and the Michael Vick dog chew toy, claiming that the company promised to donate the profits to charity — but did not follow through.
"Any company that intentionally misleads innocent consumers to believe they are contributing to worthy charitable causes is absolutely reprehensible," said Attorney General McCollum. "It is disgusting that a company would exploit a tragic situation for personal gain."
The AG's office said they began investigating the company in 2008, after receiving over 200 complaints about the sale of the Michael Vick dog chew toy.
From the AG's office:
New complaints have since surfaced over the company's use of Caylee Anthony's name and likeness for the "Sunshine Doll Collection" and other "Caylee Sunshine" merchandise. The lawsuit states the company and Salcedo intentionally misrepresented that a $5,000 donation was made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by Showbiz Promotions when, in fact, only a $10.00 donation was confirmed.
"This effort is outrageous and attempts to exploit the tragic murder of a child for personal benefit," said Ernie Allen, President and CEO, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. "NCMEC does not and will not ever be associated with any attempt to commercialize or raise money in connection with the victimization of any child."
Attorney General Sues Jacksonville Maker of Caylee Anthony Doll, Michael Vick Chew Toy [Florida AG]
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Comments:
While misleading on the donation is investigation worthy, being crude or impolite isn't. Why were they investigating after the chew toy came out?
IIRC, many "scam charaties" take in large sums of money, but are allowed to spend it on "operating costs", of which only like 1% of the donations they take in go to actually doing anything. Perhaps they cut out the middle man? Or perhaps they are evil people. I'm leaning towards the latter.
They should do the same for Ginnette Lucas if she opens her pie hole again.
I thought Caylee Anthony had brown hair.
@nakedscience: Not everthing people complain about needs to be investigated. And if there is an investigation, it should have been closed quickly. "Investigating since" implies that the prior investigaion was ongoing or otherwise factored into the current situation.
@nbs2: It's in the very first paragraph of the article. The company claimed they'd donate some of the chew toy profits to animal shelters.
@Veeber: At this point she may be a public figure (otherwise Barack could have covered the bailouts with royalties on all the crap with him/his family slapped on it). But, that's debatable, since she didn't engage in actions to put herself there.
What kind of sick, twisted person would think "yeah, a doll of a brutally murdered child, that's just what I need"?
@aedude01: You are right - privacy and misappropriation laws generally do not apply to the dead. [www.citmedialaw.org]
This whole thing is a mess. That company is run by a bunch of ghouls.
@nbs2: Uuuh, and maybe those complaints had to do with the first line of the article?
"The Florida Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against Showbiz Promotions, LLC, maker of the Caylee Anthony doll and the Michael Vick dog chew toy, claiming that the company promised to donate the profits to charity - but did not follow through."
Do people read before they comment?!
@nbs2: Well, they are trying to force the name of Barack Fried Chicken to change....
[news.google.com]
They will eventually pay a fine and keep the rest and move on to other disgusting rip-offs.
@nbs2:
People bought these thinking that they are donating to a charity and the owners did not follow though. This is a very simple case of fraud and that is why the AG got involved.
@nakedscience: Do you mean first paragraph for first line?
Do people really read before they comment?
There was little or no contribution, according to the article, but it doesn't indicate if that's what the complaints were about. Most complaints for both items, I'd wager, were based on taste rather than donations.
But, if you really think that people went and verified contributions before complaining, you go right on ahead and do so.
@Veeber:
I heard about this website a while ago, and, creeped out, I checked it out. There was a disclaimer at the bottom of the page about how any likeness to Caylee Anthony was purely coincidental. Um, yeah, right. But the doll's name is "Caylee Sunshine," which is probably not anyone's actual name. Anyway, I vote that this is WAY creepier than the Sasha and Malia Ty dolls.
The commercial on the Michael Vick dog chew toy website says "made of 100% dog material." What does that even mean?
i want the chew toy.....
@Veeber:
You can't. Which is why this is guy is so slick and disgusting. This is how it would play out in court: "Its INSPIRED by Caylee Anthony, but this is Caylee Sunshine. See the blonde hair? Caylee Anthony had brown hair, its not the same likeness." You want rustproofing and an extended warrantee with that?
@nbs2: So, you're assuming they complained because the products were in poor taste, even though you have no proof of that? You can shake your head at the other commenters replying to you, but you're in the same boat - speculating without evidence. I think you're just being contrary in order to troll.
@Trai_Dep: Trai_Dep, my mother was a blonde doll, and I take offense at your statement.
Just shitting you. I don't care if you make doll jokes. BUT NO JOKES ABOUT VENTRILOQUISTS' DUMMIES! THAT IS OVER THE LINE.
@SybilDisobedience: Ventriloquist dummies totally freak me the Hell out. They speak. Even after they've slain their partners using itty-bitty carving knives. Especially after they've slain their partners using itty-bitty carving knives. Damn Satan-spawned dolls won't ever shut up about slaying their partners using itty-bitty carving knives. Yammering on and on and on about fisted hands in awkward places, years of being on the road never getting the last word in and having to watch from afar in the motel room corner as his partner gets "lucky" with random Carney babes. Spit-flecked rants, always followed by the same description of its horrific deed in minute, cut-by-cut detail.
Yeesh - give it a rest, glassy-eyed, maniacally grinning Satan-spawn!
Needless to say, I'm getting my sister one for her next birthday.
While they're at it, will they please sue Nancy Grace? That women is like a soul-sucking leech.
The most disturbing show I've ever watched is Nancy Grace. How can she sleep at night? Seriously.
of course, they could always go with the classic "dollars? we said DOLL-HAIRS! 5000 doll-hairs."
Now if Florida will just go after that Nancy Grace heffer whose milked Caylee Anthony more than anyone/anything else in history, life would be good.
Honestly, do we really need 1 hr a night on a story about a dead child? Isn't there a war/financial crisis/drought/unemployment/price of tea in China that could better fill 1 hr of network time?
I'm still surprised that you can just use another person's likeness for personal gain without permission.