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From: ark@rabbit.UUCP (Andrew Koenig)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Penthouse/Miss America
Message-ID: <3039@rabbit.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 7-Aug-84 18:33:44 EDT
Article-I.D.: rabbit.3039
Posted: Tue Aug  7 18:33:44 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 8-Aug-84 20:14:29 EDT
References: <1047@eosp1.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 42

Toby Robison says:

	"The Miss America Pageant was widely criticized for their
	handling of Vanessa Williams, but it's hard to believe that anything
	they did to her will mark her for life in the way that those pictures,
	published against her will, may."

Bob Guccione (the publisher of Penthouse) says that when he bought
the pictures of Vanessa Williams, the person who sold him the
pictures also gave him a model release signed by Williams.  He
looked at the release, decided its language wasn't strong enough,
and demanded one with stronger language before he would buy the
pictures.  The photographer obtained this release, which
Guccione says he had scrutinized by handwriting analysts for
possible forgery before accepting it.  Model releases normally
allow whoever is paying the model to do anything at all with
the photographs thus released.  Now, there are three possibilities:

	1. Guccione is lying: he did not get a model release
	authorizing him to publish the pictures.  In this case,
	he deserves whatever happens to him, and I hope the
	settlement runs to nine figures.  I find it hard to
	believe, though, that Guccione would be that stupid.

	2. Guccione was misled.  He was given what he thought
	was a valid model release but was actually a forgery
	or somehow signed under coercion.  In that case,
	the forger or coercer must take the blame.  It does
	seem that Guccione considered the possibility of forgery
	and tried to take it into account.

	3. The model release is genuine.  In that case, I'm afraid
	I don't have any sympathy for Vanessa Williams.  Once she
	signed it, she gave away any rights she might have had
	to control the pictures.  And I can't blame Guccione for
	not holding up the publication until Williams' term was
	over:  publishing when he did was probably worth millions
	of dollars.

In summary:  either Williams authorized the use of the pictures
or she didn't.  If she did, tough.  If not, I hope she wins
zillions of dollars in court.