A CALIFORNIA JUDGE has ruled in favour of Hollywood website IMDB.com in a dispute over whether they should be allowed publish actors’ ages.
A new law took effect in January and allows actors and other industry professionals to force IMDB to take down their ages.
IMDB is challenging this law and a US district court judge temporarily blocked it as the challenge makes its way through the courts.
Judge Vince Chhabria said the law prevented IMDB from publishing factual information on its public website and that the state had not shown it was necessary to combat age discrimination in Hollywood.
The judge added that the law also raised concerns about the First Amendment’s guarantee of the freedom of expression.
“It’s not clear how preventing one mere website from publishing age information could meaningfully combat discrimination at all,” the judge said according to the Associated Press.
IMDB said in court documents it shared the goal of preventing age discrimination but argued the law wouldn’t achieve that goal and would instead:
chill free speech and undermine public access to factual information.
California’s state attorney general’s office said lawmakers had determined that existing anti-discrimination laws were not enough to eliminate age discrimination in Hollywood.
It cited comments by Assemblyman Ian Calderon that actors were concerned that they would be shut out from parts based on age bias.
Calderon has said the bill was aimed at protecting lesser-known actors and actresses whose ages are not as readily available as bigger Hollywood stars.
The law was supported by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists who say other industries have rules in place to prevent age discrimination.
- With reporting by Associated Press
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