August 2, 1999 7:35 PM PDT

Cheerleading Web site sues over porn ads

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The official Web site for the Oakland Raiders cheerleaders is suing Microsoft's LinkExchange for allegedly placing banner ads that lead users to porn sites.

The suit, filed today in California state court in San Francisco, seeks monetary damages and an injunction preventing LinkExchange from offering up the offending banner ads in the future.

LinkExchange, which Microsoft acquired last November, provides free advertising for small and medium-sized Web sites. Under the reciprocal arrangement, the sites agree to carry banner ads of other members in exchange for the free advertisements.

LinkExchange policy forbids banner ads that feature nude pictures or lead to racist or obscene materials, the plaintiff, Boathouse Row Entertainment contends. But LinkExchange repeated served up banners on the site that led to porn sites, alleged Mark Goodman, an attorney for Boathouse Row.

"What happened here is just because my client sold cheerleader calendars, I was assumed the people who visited that kind of site would be interested in porn," said Goodman in an interview. "That is something that the National Football League and my clients won't stand for."

Microsoft spokesman Jim Cullinan declined comment because company lawyers had not yet seen the complaint.

 

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