November 07, 2000 11:37am
Entertainment Network to Appeal Judge's Ruling on Voyeurdorm.com
Source: Entertainment Network, Inc.
by: Company Press Release
(TAMPA, FL) -- Entertainment Network, Inc. (ENI) will file an immediate appeal with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn U.S. District Court Judge Susan C. Bucklew's summary judgement yesterday upholding a Tampa City Council ruling that with its voyeurdorm.com Web site, the company was illegally operating an adult business in a residential area.
The voyeurdorm.com site follows the lives of seven college-aged women, day and night, as they shower, sleep, study and party, and the ongoing legal battle has turned into a major test case of Internet freedom. In exchange for living their lives before the cameras, ENI pays the college tuition for the girls and also pays them a weekly stipend.
``We believe Judge Bucklew incorrectly interpreted city zoning ordinances to encompass wholly Internet-based activities that have no impact on the surrounding neighborhood,'' said Mark D. Dolan, attorney for ENI. Judge Bucklew had ruled that since members of the voyeurdorm.com Web site catch occasional glimpses of the residents of the dorm while they are showering or dressing, it can be classified as ``adult'' because it shows nudity.
In February of this year, Judge Bucklew rejected an earlier attempt by the City of Tampa to dismiss a suit brought against it by ENI, the operators of voyeurdorm.com. The suit claimed that the City improperly used zoning regulations to try to shut down the dorm. The city claimed ENI was operating a sex-related business, but the company has contended it is doing no such thing and that in any event none of the ``customers'' ever come to the house where the women live.
Tampa-based Entertainment Network, Inc. is a leading supplier of content for the Internet. In addition to Web sites that reach consumers directly, ENI operated Web hosting and development companies.
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