Ancestry.com Trims Suit Over Teachers, Students Likeness in Ads

Ancestry.com succeeded in paring down a suit involving claims the genealogy company illegally used names and likenesses of students and teachers who had no connection to the company to promote its paid subscriptions.

A former high school teacher from California and the proposed class she represents have legal standing to sue, said Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín of the US District Court for the Northern District of California in her split response to Ancestry’s motion to dismiss. The plaintiffs also sufficiently suggest their “misappropriation of likeness” claims have at least a plausible chance of success, she said.

But Martínez-Olguín granted Ancestry’s motion ...