Actress sues Amazon for revealing her age on IMDb

(CBS/AP) SEATTLE - An unnamed actress is suing Amazon.com for more than $1 million for revealing her age on its Internet Movie Database website and refusing to remove the reference when asked.

The lawsuit was filed in Seattle on Thursday, and refers to the actress as Jane Doe. It says she lives in Texas, is of Asian descent and uses an Americanized stage name. She is seeking $75,000 in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages.

The lawsuit accuses IMDb of misusing her personal information after she signed up for the industry insider IMDbPro service in 2008. Shortly thereafter, she noticed her legal date of birth had been added to her public acting profile. She requested that it be removed and IMDb refused, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit claims that divulging her age has cost her acting jobs.

"If one is perceived to be 'over-the-hill,' i.e., approaching 40, it is nearly impossible for an up-and-coming actress, such as the plaintiff, to get work as she is thought to have less of an 'upside,' therefore, casting directors, producers, directors, agents-manager, etc. do not give her the same opportunities, regardless of her appearance or talent," the lawsuit states.

While she loses opportunities because of her age, the lawsuit continues, she's also missing work because of her youthful appearance.

"Plaintiff has experience rejection in the industry for each '40-year-old' role for which she has interviewed because she does not and cannot physically portray the role of a 40-year-old woman," the lawsuit says.

The online retailer and its movie database subsidiary are accused of breach of contract, fraud, and violation of privacy and consumer protection laws. Both are based in Seattle.

Amazon has a long-standing practice of not commenting on active litigation, spokeswoman Mary Osako said Tuesday.