SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States District Court in Miami this week determined that the Florida federal court will not be the primary venue for a defamation lawsuit brought by PWG Florida, Inc., an affiliate of Park West Gallery, against the website Fine Art Registry. The court's decision, which is not a ruling for any of the parties as to the merits of the underlying claims, focuses the litigation in Michigan, where Park West Gallery is headquartered.
"Park West Gallery welcomes this determination by the Florida court, which permits us to focus our energies on proving the defamation in one forum, Michigan," said Robert E. Goldman, a member of the 40-year-old gallery's legal team. The case in Michigan was filed by Park West Gallery last April in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Goldman served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for 19 years, during which time he focused on matters involving international art theft and museum theft. He was also Special Trial Attorney, appointed by the U.S. Department of Justice to counsel and assist the newly created FBI National Art Crime Team, which battles international theft, antiquities smuggling, and fraud in the art industry. (For more information visit http://www.parkwestart.com)
"I am proud to represent Park West Gallery in this important legal battle, the outcome of which will be important to the entire art industry," said Goldman. "If reckless individuals and organizations are permitted to falsely attack the hard-earned reputations of legitimate art dealers without consequence, the art market, including artists, auction houses, museums, dealers and collectors, will suffer irreparable harm. I look forward to highlighting the truth and righting this wrong in Michigan federal court."
BACKGROUND ON FINE ART REGISTRY DEFAMATION CAMPAIGN
Fine Art Registry's (FAR) defamatory attacks began in 2007 shortly after Park West rejected a business offer from the start-up website's management. Recognizing the potential profit from Park West's clients -- the gallery sells hundreds of thousands of works each year -- FAR approached Park West to buy the website's art registry services. For an annual membership fee of $9.95 and $2.25 per registered work, FAR simply lists an artwork on its site without examining the actual work, researching its authenticity or guaranteeing the website's future existence. Park West saw no value to its customers in spending well in excess of $1 million per year for FAR's service, and passed on FAR's solicitation.
FAR's defamation began soon after, forcing the gallery in April 2008 to take its initial legal action against FAR in Michigan and Florida, two states in which Park West owns and operates major gallery and processing facilities. While those suits have been progressing through the courts, FAR has continued its online attacks -- publishing numerous false and defamatory statements about Park West -- and sponsored unsuccessful legal challenges in a number of states. A FAR-sponsored suit was dismissed in California in December 2008. Park West is seeking reimbursement for legal fees in that case.
ABOUT PARK WEST GALLERY
Founded in 1969, Park West Gallery conducts art auctions at locations throughout the world, as well as on 85 cruise ships operated by the Carnival, Celebrity, Disney, Holland America, Norwegian, Oceania, Regent Seven Seas and Royal Caribbean cruise lines. The Park West Gallery collection includes oil and acrylic paintings, watercolors and drawings, hand-signed limited edition etchings, lithographs, serigraphs, and hand-embellished graphic works, as well as animation art and selected sports memorabilia. Park West Gallery occupies a 63,000 square foot headquarters and gallery in Southfield, Michigan and an 181,000 square foot fulfillment center and gallery in Miami Lakes, Florida.
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