Woman Sues Toys R Us Over Hidden Camera

from the but-whose-fault? dept

So, here's an interesting legal question. If someone walks into your retail establishment, goes into the bathroom, hides a camera with a wireless transmitter on it, and leaves, are you responsible? A woman is suing Toys 'R' Us after finding just such a camera in the bathroom. There have been plenty of other stories about similar hidden cameras being used in public restrooms, and it's a horrible trend. However, Toys 'R' Us denies that anyone associated with them had anything to do with the camera. While it could very well have been an employee - it might not have been. If it wasn't an employee, who is legally liable for the camera? Is the company still liable since it was on their property, and they should have spotted it first? Or is it up to someone (the police?) to track down whoever really placed the camera there? If it is the responsibility of the retailer, what's to stop someone from placing a camera themselves in the bathroom, and then going and suing the company?
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  1. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Jul 2003 @ 4:51pm

    No Subject Given

    Toys R Us will get the bill since they have the money. This is the result of our current lottery - uh, I mean legal - system. More likely Toys will settle out of court to avoid getting in front of a bunch of screened jurors who hate or are paranoid of "big corporations" (there are archived postings on this web site from such people - see RFID postings for a few examples)

    Companies will just have to add this legal/cost/worker training/time expense to their cost of overhead and pass it on to the consumer. Also expect "bans" being posted on retail establishments for cameras, as is being done for factories. Not really an issue for Walmart, Toys R Us, etc., but another drag on small and many medium sizes companies and landlords.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Ron, 11 Jul 2003 @ 5:35pm

    You missed the point!

    The point is someone, somehow, somewhere for whatever reason that seems to be of interest to someone for some reason, anywhere is to sue someone for something, somewhere for some reason.

    A hidden camera is good enough reason.

    Wonder who'd of sued whom had the camera been found in the men's room...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Jul 2003 @ 11:05pm

    Simpler Solution

    Toys R Us will put the bathroom behind lock and key from now on.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Jul 2003 @ 11:12pm

    Defense tactics

    With these kind of lawsuits, one tactic is to embarass the defendant to death, until they give up. Does she have a malformed labia? Was she having her period? Does she have one urethra or two? How many pieces of excrement did she excrete before realizing the camera was there?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    VonSkippy, 12 Jul 2003 @ 6:43pm

    Re: Simpler Solution

    Better yet, just put all the bathrooms in the middle of the store surrounded by glass. That way there is no expectation of privacy. People are too prudish anyways.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Joe Scmoe, 13 Jul 2003 @ 12:00am

    I dunno

    I, at this day and age, would almost tend to believe this incident was faked anyway. Get a cam, stick it in a bathroom, & start yelling "ooo! ooo! camera!"

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    localman, 14 Jul 2003 @ 1:14am

    Re: No Subject Given

    People have every right to be scared of big corporations - they exist solely for profit and will screw the consumer in every way possible given the chance. Combine this with a legal system that is almost always on the side of the rich and powerful and you have a recipe for justufued hatred and fear

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    kai, 14 Jul 2003 @ 5:29am

    No Subject Given

    according to google's ads, the first thing you should do after reading this add is buy an x-10 camera and install it in your bathroom. ;)

    link to this | view in thread ]


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