On March 28, Jacksonville, FL-based swimwear and sportswear cataloger Venus Swimwear sued Ultama Swimwear, also based in Jacksonville, charging that Ultama illegally used Venus’s list of e-mail addresses. Venus is also charging that a former employee and his company used Venus’s customer list without permission or authorization.
According to Venus president Daryle Scott, Venus customers and list decoys have received e-mail messages promoting Ultama Swimwear, which launched a catalog in February. Venus alleges that the e-mails were sent from the ex- employee’s e-mail server address to Venus’s customer e-mail address list.
Ultama Swimwear did not return phone calls by press time.
Venus Swimwear, which began in 1982, mails more than 35 million catalogs annually. In addition to marketing to consumers, Venus sells to stores throughout the United States, Canada, and other foreign countries.