Can anyone claim ownership of “selfie pay” technology? Self-proclaimed “Queen of Selfies” Kim Kardashian believes that she can — and so confident is she in that belief that she has filed three separate lawsuits against Amazon, MasterCard and Lucova, claiming intellectual property infringement in the companies’ uses of facial recognition payment software.
SHUTTERSTOCKPerhaps put in a litigious mood by the lawsuit recently filed against her and her sisters, Kourtney and Khloé, by Hillair Capital Management for the trio’s alleged failure to promote the “Kardashian Beauty” makeup line — and/or worried that she’ll need to bring in some extra money to pay for the $180 million in damages being sought therein — Kim Kardashian West has gone on the legal offensive in a completely unrelated manner.
It’s one that is, objectively speaking, a bit of a doozy.
Yesterday (March 31), Kardashian West filed three separate lawsuits against Amazon, MasterCard and Lucova, alleging in each case that the biometric technology at the core of the companies’ various offerings that allows a consumer to verify his or her identity with a selfie to complete retail transactions is the intellectual property of Kimberly Kardashian West herself.
All three suits were filed — in effect simultaneously — at Santa Monica (California) Municipal Court on Thursday morning.
As part of a general statement regarding the action, Kardashian West’s attorney, Michael Kump, expressed: “For nearly a decade, Mrs. Kardashian West has, through her myriad successful business and entertainment ventures, played a trailblazing role in propelling social media technology — including mobile technology and, in particular, that which relates to visual media — to become a viable and immensely profitable channel of commerce.”
“The fact is that none of the products that these companies [Amazon, MasterCard and Lucova] are bringing to market in the realm of ‘selfie pay,’ ‘pay with selfie’ or any similar nature would exist as functional commercial entities were it not for the years of hard work that Mrs. Kardashian West has put forth in her numerous business enterprises,” continued Kump, “of which so-called ‘selfie pay’ technology is one direct result.”
According to the court documents filed yesterday, Kardashian West is not targeting an equal amount of damages from each company. Rather, she is specifically seeking $90 million from Amazon, $100 million from MasterCard and — a mere pittance by comparison — $2.5 million from Lucova. (Looks like the latter company is getting off easy.)
Representatives for all three companies were quick to dismiss the grounds of Kardashian West’s lawsuits out of hand, expressing confidence that Los Angeles Superior Court will do the same in short time.
Kardashian West feels differently, however, saying, as part of a formal statement that was issued yesterday: “I know business, and I know the law. My father was a lawyer.”
Reached for comment via telephone, Kardashian West’s father, Caitlyn Jenner, formerly Bruce Jenner, told PYMNTS: “I believe Kim was referring to her birth father, Robert Kardashian. I’m her ex-stepmother.” She added, “Also—”
In an apparent effort to further her case, Kardashian West, within one hour after the initial filing, posted 52 new selfies to her Instagram page.
Editor’s Note: This article is part of the PYMNTS.com special April Fools’ edition. Any connection to fact is purely coincidental.
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