August 3, 2000 17:06

THE WRIT STUFF!

The '80s legends are being sued by a man whose phone number was given out as a contact number for the band's merchandise...

Duran Duran could be facing a court battle after being issued with a lawsuit by a man whose home telephone number was listed as the band's merchandise hotline.

According to American website www.wallofsound.go.com, Cornell Zachary, 57, of Los Angeles, is suing the band and associated parties after his telephone number was given out as a contact number for Duran Duran merchandise. Zacharay claims to have been plagued with calls from "millions" of fans, "for the purposes of ordering through electronic media, T-Shirts, tickets, souvenirs admissions tickets or events tickets" since July 28 1999.

Zachary alleges that he has suffered "life-threatening high blood-pressure episodes" and has developed a sleeping disorder because of the band's "unnecessary, unreasonable and injurous methods of operating their business enterprises".

On Friday (July 28), a further suit was issued by a different lawyer claiming negligence, invasion of privacy and intentional emotional distress. It is claimed that the calls continued after the defendants were asked to stop using Zacharay's number in official Duran Duran correspondence.

Parties named in the suit - filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court - include Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, Warren Cuccurullo and Duran Duran Productions.