Trip To San Diego - Actress Suing IMDb Faces Tough Questions on Second Day of Trial

Source - http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/
By - Venkat Balasubramani
Category - Trip To San Diego
Posted By - Inn and Suites In West Miami

Trip To San Diego

Huong Hoang, the actress suing IMDb for revealing her age, got her second day at trial to prove her case after opening arguments were delivered on Monday.

On Tuesday, the jury heard testimony from three witnesses -- Hoang, her agent Joe Kolkowitz and IMDb’s customer service manager Giancarlo Cairella.

It was a lively day, full of discussion about an actor's livelihood, how actors are cast and more about the relationship between a prominent website and the people who use it. And, of course, on a day that put a spotlight on the roles that people play, there was an O.J. Simpson cameo.

Ultimately, the trial continues to investigate IMDb's right to use Hoang's personal information as well as the conduct of both sides in living up to their respective responsibilities. The trial is now moving towards a conclusion.

Here's a look at what was said on Day 2:

More testimony from Hoang:

Taking questions on direct examination, Hoang spoke about her work and how she has been compensated as an actress.

Hoang emphasized that her income decreased following IMDb's display of her true birthdate. She testified that she amended her tax returns and that the amounts of money disclosed in tax filings did not present the full extent of her income. She also told the jury how she had read and relied on IMDb’s privacy policy when signing up for an IMDb Pro account and how it was her understanding that the policy protected her “legal name” (as opposed to her nickname).

The plaintiff was sharply questioned on cross-examination.

Harry Schneider, IMDb’s lawyer, walked Hoang through her tax returns. Without coming out and saying it, he highlighted that Hoang didn’t make very much money from acting, and that she deducted a fair amount of expenses for the amount of money she made. For example, her acting income in 2010 was between $1000 and $2000, but she deducted amounts for hair and makeup ($987), shoes ($318.86) and miscellaneous expenses ($523). The implication was that Hoang's acting was more of a hobby and less of a serious occupation.

STORY: Actress Suing IMDb Takes the Witness Stand

The most grueling part of the cross examination came when Schneider walked Hoang through the IMDb user agreement and its provisions where users promise to submit accurate information.

“You knew you were obligated to make sure the information you provided [to IMDb] was true and accurate, didn't you?”  Schneider asked Hoang repeatedly.