PRESS GAZETTE - May 27 - Guardian News & Media (GMN), the newspaper publisher, launched its action against businessman Daniel Yorke and his companies Dating Network and X Factor Online Dating after being contacted by three members of its Soulmates service asking why their profiles were appearing on other dating sites. GMN claims that by November last year the dating sites had more than 9,000 profiles in their databases that were identical to those in Soulmates. Use of the Soulmates profiles is a misrepresentation, the writ alleges, and calculated to lead people to believe GNM is involved in a commercial arrangement with the two dating sites, which it is not.
The full article was originally published at Press Gazette, but is no longer available.
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In addition to the pilfering of the database, I would think this also constitutes copyright infringement in that the substance of the profiles was taken verbatim. Pure theft, the plaintiff should easily win.
Posted by: DopeyFromDating | May 29, 2010 at 08:44 PM
Shocking stuff! It is one thing for Facebook and the like that don't charge anything to be data privacy scoundrels! It is completely different for an operation like this that charges fees and then to violate the privacy of their clientele! If these individuals didn't 'opt-in' to having their personal information shared in this manner then XFactor is in trouble w/ the EU Data Rights regulations. Will be curious to see what the Brussels mandarins do with this, they appear to have given Facebook a pass.
Posted by: jim jones | Jun 03, 2010 at 04:51 PM
I really hope this goes to court. I hope The Guardian don't bottle it. That Danile Yorke character has brought disgrace to the dating industry. Passing off 9,000 members from another site as his has no doubt brought him money under false pretences. He should be struck off and banned from ever running a company again.
Posted by: Mike & Pam | Jun 03, 2010 at 05:15 PM
This kind of stuff gives our industry a bad name. Terrible business practise by xfactor, and puzzling they think they could get away with it.
Posted by: Mike Peterson | Jun 22, 2010 at 04:03 AM
The bad news is xfactor are now back up with another dating site. How is this allowed to happen? Surely they should be banned from this by law?
Posted by: Harry and Wills | Apr 18, 2011 at 10:33 AM