Angered model sues Google over defamatory blog remarks

New York, January 8: Liskula Cohen, a 36-year old Canadian model, is suing the web search giant Google over a comment made by an anonymous Internet blogger using the company's blogger service.

Cohen filed a lawsuit in Manhattan State Supreme Court asking the global search powerhouse Google to reveal the identity of a person who anonymously posted insulting remarks on Blogger.com, a blog publishing system owned by the Mountain View-based company.

Cohen claims the remarks on her hygiene and sexual habits are defamatory, malicious and false.

In the post made on a blog entitled “SKANKS in NYC,” the anonymous blogger named her the "#1 skanky superstar" and “an old hag” who “may have been hot ten years ago.” Some other hurtful remarks that angered the former Vogue model include: “Desperation seeps from her soul, if she even has one.”

One more post reads: “Don’t you guys think she should grow and get on with her life? I mean really, 40 year old women (or in her case that look 40) shouldn’t be out at night looking and acting like ho’s.”

Now, in her defamation lawsuit, the model seeks a court order that would compel Google and its Blogger service to reveal the person or people who are responsible for the post.

“We think we have a case,” said her attorney Steve Wagner. “This is libelous, it's defamatory and you shouldn't just get away with this.” However, he still admits that compelling Google to disclose the identity of the anonymous blogger is not an easy task.

Google, though declined to discuss specifics in Cohen's lawsuit, said they sympathize with victims of cyber bulling. However, the search company said they "take great care to respect privacy concerns and will only provide information about a user in response to a subpoena or other court order."

Besides appearing on the covers of W and Australian Vogue magazines in the early '90s, Cohen has also modeled for Giorgio Armani, Gianfranco Ferre Jeans, Holt Renfrew, Husky, Montana and Versace.

The blonde beauty received media coverage last year when a Manhattan doorman was arrested for smashing her in the face with a vodka bottle.