Spokeo Class Certified in Suit Over Unauthorized Teaser Profiles

A group of people who say search engine operator Spokeo Inc. posted “teaser” profiles of them without authorization won certification of their class action claims that the company violated the California and Ohio right of publicity statutes.

Certification is warranted because the lead plaintiffs have shown that each proposed class is sufficiently numerous, containing many thousands of members, that their claims are typical of the claims of the class, and that their counsel are adequate, Judge William H. Orrick of the US District Court for the Northern District of California ruled Wednesday.

They also meet the commonality requirement for certification, ...