Actress sues Amazon over her age on its IMDb site

An actress has sued Amazon.com for more than $1m (£639,000) after her age was posted on its Internet Movie Database.

The unnamed actress says the website misused her legal date of birth after she signed up to the IMDbPro service in 2008.

She says revealing her age on the site will lose her acting opportunities.

Amazon and its movie database subsidiary are accused of breach of contract, fraud, violation of privacy and consumer protection laws.

IMDb refused to remove the information, says the lawsuit, which was filed in a federal court in Seattle, where Amazon is based.

The actress - referred to in court documents by the placeholder name Jane Doe - lives in Texas, is of Asian descent and has an Americanised stage name.

The lawsuit states: "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."

A spokeswoman for Amazon - which acquired IMDb in 1998 - told the AP news agency the company did not comment on active litigation.