California-based StemExpress, fetal tissue procurement partner of Planned Parenthood, has won a temporary restraining order against the Center for Medical Progress. Center for Medical Progress claims had released three vides and plans to release around 10 more.
Complaints listed against CMP are: invasion of privacy, receipt of stolen property, conversion, fraudulent inducement of contract, intentional interference with contractual relations, breach of contract, unfair competition and declaratory relief. StemExpress, which purchases fetal tissue and body parts from abortion clinics, hopes to stop the release of future videos that might include their employees.
From the Associated Press and ABC news:
A temporary restraining order has been issued preventing an anti-abortion group from releasing any video of leaders of a California company that provides fetal tissue to researchers. The group is the same one that previously released three covertly shot videos of a Planned Parenthood leader discussing the sale of aborted fetuses for research.
The Los Angeles Superior Court order issued Tuesday prohibits the Center for Medical Progress from releasing any video of three high-ranking StemExpress officials taken at a restaurant in May.
In court filings requesting the temporary restraining order, StemExpress alleged multiple infractions by the Center for Medical Progress, including invasion of privacy, breach of contract, and unfair competition.
“Defendants are anti-abortion advocates,” StemExpress’s court complaint states. “In furtherance of their cause, Defendants have engaged in a public campaign against Planned Parenthood.”
“In the course of this campaign, Defendants have committed numerous illegal acts against StemExpress and its employees,” the complaint continues.
From the court filing:
StemExpress’s business has already been impacted because of the false and misleading assertions made concerning its business relationship with the Planned Parenthood physicians contained in the videos. CMP [Center for Medical Progress] has stated its intention to release more “undercover” video footage. Plaintiffs believe that CMP is at least in part referring to video illegally taken of the Defendants.
Here’s hoping Center for Medical Progress has multiple administrators for their digital property, that some of these administrators are outside the U.S., and that the videos are hosted on multiple overseas servers.
