Verizon Wireless has filed a lawsuit to stop a telemarketing company from calling its customers and employees to advertise the upcoming movie, The Velveteen Rabbit. The lawsuit filed in US District Court in Trenton, alleges Feature Films for Families, illegally used an autodialer to call Verizon Wireless customers on behalf of a company called Family 1 Films.
The lawsuit states that in early February 2009, nearly 500,000 calls were made to Verizon Wireless customers and employees. When customers answered these calls to their wireless phones they heard either a prerecorded voice message or an individual reading a script promoting the anticipated release of the film.
The lawsuit alleges violations of the Federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which makes it illegal to use an autodialer to make calls to wireless phones, as well as state fraud and privacy laws. Verizon Wireless has also filed a motion seeking a preliminary injunction to stop the defendants from making these calls.
Steven Zipperstein, vice president and general counsel of Verizon Wireless, said: Telemarketers continue to harass our customers and impinge on their privacy, often using illegal methods including autodialers. Whatever their methods and whatever their product, these unlawful telemarketing calls are an annoyance to our customers and invade their privacy.
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