Fort Wayne, Indiana – The owners of two local nightclubs, Showgirl I and Showgirl III, have fulfilled a court‑ordered judgment by paying a total of $1,917,825 to 33 models whose photographs and likenesses were used in promotional social‑media posts without their consent.

Background of the dispute

The lawsuit, filed in 2020 by the models against the nightclub owners, B & S of Fort Wayne Inc. and Reba Enterprises LLC, alleged that the businesses repeatedly posted the models’ images online to market events, even though none of the women were employed by the clubs or had signed any release allowing such use. The models argued that the unauthorized use harmed their personal brands and could jeopardize future work opportunities.

Court ruling and awards

In July 2021, a Fort Wayne judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, ordering the nightclub owners to pay nearly $2 million. Individual awards ranged from about $30,389 to more than $215,389, based on how often each model’s image appeared in the clubs’ promotional material. The judgment also included interest on the amounts owed.

Payment completed

According to a recent court filing, the models have each received their awarded sums, and the court has now released the nightclub owners and associated businesses from the judgment. This resolution ends a protracted legal battle that began over three years ago.

Impact on local businesses

The case underscores the importance of respecting intellectual property and personal branding rights, especially for businesses that rely on social‑media marketing. Nightclub owners and other local enterprises are reminded to obtain proper written permission before using any individual’s image for promotional purposes.

While the settlement represents a significant financial outlay for the clubs, it also provides closure for the models and reaffirms the legal protections afforded to individuals’ likenesses in Indiana.

Original reporting: WOWO News/Talk (Fort Wayne) — read the source article.