US men's mag Maxim claims 'out of control' Australian publisher breached policy by soliciting models
The title's local publisher has been accused of attempting to "attract models to pay" to participate in photo shoots, and of overstating its readership.
Lawyers for New York-based Maxim Inc. told the Federal Court of Australia on Monday the company received calls from confused and concerned modelling agencies, after local publisher Nuclear Enterprises attempted to solicit models for a fee, in breach of the US company’s policies and licence terms.
In an interlocutory hearing in the companies’ trademark dispute, Siobhan Ryan KC said solicitation fees had caused “reputational damage” to Maxim internationally.
“Nuclear is out of licence, out of oversight and out of control” Ryan told Federal Court Judge Helen Rofe, who is presiding over the media spat.
Lawyers for Maxim were today seeking an injunction to stop Nuclear Enterprises’ publication of the magazine while a licensing dispute plays out over the next few months.
