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Snowboarder sues IMG over picture

Nova Scotia’s Sarah Conrad, a 19-year-old member of the Canadian Snowboard Team, is suing world championship producers IMG-Canada for altering a picture of her for promotional purposes, replacing the Ride logo on her snowboard with an Option logo.

Option NFA was a major sponsor of the 2005 FIS Snowboard World Championships in Whistler.

On Feb. 16, Conrad filed a writ of summons and statement of claim to the B.C. Supreme Court which alleges that IMG took a picture of her published in Ski Press Canada’s World Cup 2005 issue and altered it to for promotional materials, including the world championship program, posters and banners.

Conrad said she asked IMG not to use the photo before the event out of concern for her sponsors, but said the organizers continued to use the modified picture.

In her writ, Conrad is seeking an injunction banning IMG from distributing materials that exploit her image. She is also seeking punitive damages for a breach of the Privacy Act and Competition Act, and for "wrongful interference with her contractual and economic relations" with her sponsors at Ride.

According to Mark Taylor, president of IMG Action Sports, the lawsuit is an "unfortunate issue," but says the company cannot comment on the case.

Once IMG is officially served notice they will have seven days to reply, after which point the first hearings will be scheduled.