Top Class Actions  |  March 23, 2020

Category: Closed Class Actions

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This settlement is closed!

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Playboy bunny logo illustration

Playboy has agreed to pay $3.85 million to resolve claims that the entertainment company shared Michigan magazine subscribers’ information without consent.

The settlement benefits individuals with a Michigan street address who subscribed to a Playboy publication between Jan. 1, 2016 and July 30, 2016, excluding individuals who opted out of Playboy’s information sharing service.

Plaintiff Mark Kokoszki filed his Playboy magazine privacy class action lawsuit in February 2019. According to the plaintiff, Playboy Enterprises Inc. illegally shared magazine subscriber information with third parties without obtaining consumer consent.

Allegedly a third party can spend under $0.11 to receive a variety of information about Playboy subscribers. This information reportedly includes state, ZIP code, age, income, gender, and email address.

As a result of these purchases, third parties have sent a variety of junk mailings to Kokoszki. He says he received an influx of unwanted mail from “aggressive advertisers, political organizations, and nonprofits” as a direct result of Playboy sharing his information with third parties.

“These harassing junk mailings received by Plaintiff Kokoszki are attributable to Playboy’s unauthorized rental, exchange, and/or disclosure of his Personal Reading Information,” the Playboy class action lawsuit claimed.

Playboy allegedly violated Michigan consumers’ rights by repeatedly sharing their information. Kokoszki claimed that, by repeatedly sharing the information instead of outright selling the data away, the company secured significant profits as it repeatedly took advantage of its subscribers.

“By renting, exchanging, or otherwise disclosing – rather than selling – its customers’ Personal Reading Information, Playboy is able to disclose the information time and time again to countless third parties,” the Playboy class action lawsuit alleged.

The plaintiff claims that Playboy violates Michigan’s Preservation of Personal Privacy Act (PPPA) by sharing consumer information without consent.

This law protects Michigan consumers from unwanted breaches of privacy, including the unauthorized sharing of personal reading information. Under the PPPA, consumers can collect around $5,000 in statutory damages per violation.

Playboy did not admit any wrongdoing under Michigan’s PPPA, but agreed to resolve the claims against them in a $3.8 million class action settlement in February 2020. As a result of the settlement, Kokoszki and participating Class Members will release their claims against the company.

Under the settlement, Class Members can collect an equal share of the net settlement fund. Class counsel estimates that Class Member payments will be around $220. However, exact payment amounts will vary depending on the number of eligible Class Members and the amount deducted in fees and costs.

According to the settlement, the deal is a favorable outcome for the plaintiffs and “represents the best result ever achieved on a per-class member basis in an action brought under the Michigan Preservation of Personal Privacy Act (the ‘PPPA’).”

Class Members who did not receive official notice of the settlement must file a valid claim form by April 13, 2020. Class Members are not required to file a valid claim form if they received notice directly from the settlement administrator.

The deadline for exclusion and objection to the settlement is May 4, 2020. Class Members who wish to update their address on file with the settlement administrator can do so on the settlement website. The final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for June 10, 2020.

Who’s Eligible

Individuals with a Michigan street address who subscribed to a Playboy publication between Jan. 1, 2016 and July 30, 2016. Class Members are only eligible if they did not opt out of Playboy’s information sharing service.

Potential Award

An equal share of the net settlement fund, estimated to be $220.

Proof of Purchase

N/A

Claim Form

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

7/24/2020    UPDATED

Case Name

Kokoszki v. Playboy Enterprises Inc., Case No. 2:19-cv-10302-BAF-RSW, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

Final Hearing

8/19/2020   UPDATED

UPDATE: The Michigan Playboy Subscriber Privacy Class Action Settlement was granted final approval on August 19, 2020. Let Top Class Actions know when you receive a check in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.

Claims Administrator

Playboy Magazine Settlement
c/o JND Legal Administration
PO Box 91350
Seattle, WA 98111
info@PlayboyMagazineSettlement.com
1-833-900-1639

Class Counsel

Joseph I. Marchese
Phillip L. Fraietta
BURSOR & FISHER PA

Frank S. Hedin
David W. Hall
HEDIN HALL LLP

Defense Counsel

J. Michael Huget
Jeffrey K. Lamb
Robert M. Riley
HONIGMAN LLP

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49 thoughts onMichigan Playboy Subscriber Privacy Class Action Settlement

  1. sheila hogrell says:

    I was approved and never received a check. I still have the e-mail stating I was approved and would be getting a check.

  2. AMBER FINNEY says:

    Still never received a letter email or check

  3. Munna Kumar Kushwaha says:

    Mai playboy join karna chahata hu please

  4. Amy says:

    That’s your update that I just received and I don’t receive denied letter or email

    Thank you for your email. The hearing to consider the fairness of the settlement took place on August 19, 2020, and the Court approved the Settlement on the same day. The Settlement checks were mailed on September 16, 2020, and all checks will expire and become void if not cashed or deposited before March 15, 2021.

    Regards,

    Playboy Magazine Settlement Administrator
    c/o JND Legal Administration
    Toll-free: 1-833-900-1639
    http://www.playboymagazinesettlement.com

  5. LEE JONES says:

    TCA PLEASE UP DATE

    1. Amy says:

      They send check 180 days a go that what they tell me they don’t send denied letter or email

    2. Amy says:

      Thank you for your email. The hearing to consider the fairness of the settlement took place on August 19, 2020, and the Court approved the Settlement on the same day. The Settlement checks were mailed on September 16, 2020, and all checks will expire and become void if not cashed or deposited before March 15, 2021.

      Regards,

      Playboy Magazine

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Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.