Author Says PETA Swiped Her Stuff

MANHATTAN (CN) - An author claims that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals swiped copyrighted material from her book and used it in PETA's nationally touring exhibit called "Are Animals the New Slaves?"

One of the founders of plaintiff the Institute for the Development of Earth Awareness was Marjorie Spiegel, who wrote the 1988 book, "The Dreaded Comparison: Human and Animal Slavery." The book contains a forward by Alice Walker.

The Institute claims that since 2005 PETA has illegally reproduced text and graphic material from the book, including selections from Walker's foreword. PETA's touring exhibit is part of its "Animal Liberation Project" media campaign.

The Institute says it has complained about these infringements since August 2005, but PETA blew it off and continued its infringements, using the material to raise money. It also claims that PETA's use of the materials have been denounced as racist by a number of prominent civil rights groups. The federal complaint does not elucidate this.

The Institute demands PETA's profits, and destruction of the infringing material. It is represented by Robert Clarida with Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman.

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