By Maria Hickey, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – The group behind a referendum initiative to protect stem cell research claims its opponents copied its website.
The Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures is gathering signatures for its Stem Cell Initiative in an effort to get it on the November ballot.
The group filed a lawsuit in federal court in Kansas City Wednesday against the Elliot Institute.
Coalition executive director Donn Rubin says the Institute stole their website.
"We've filed suit just to protect our website and to ensure our supporters and people who want good information won't be misled and know exactly what they're getting when they come to our website," Rubin said.
Elliott Institute director David Reardon says although the group used three stock photos similar to those used on the Coalition's website he doesn't believe the suit will stand up in court.
"We're clearly a different website. There's no confusion about the differences," Reardon said. "There's no copyright to having a certain look. These are stock photos used by thousands of graphic artists around the country."
Meanwhile the Institute is working to get its own initiative on the November ballot.
Links to the websites: