ARA Files Court Action Concerning "Doctored" Photos

American Royal Arts (ARA), a Florida based company and recognized leader in the rock n roll fine art and memorabilia industry, has once again stepped up to the plate in an effort to protect the industry's integrity and to protect the memorabilia fan, collector and consumer. On November 18, 2009, ARA filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of Palm Beach County, Florida, against Bruce Hall, d/b/a Gallery of Dreams. In the Complaint, ARA alleges that Gallery of Dreams, a California based company which has an established and continuous course of business dealings in Florida, sent to ARA and other similarly-situated companies, false provenance and altered/doctored photographs which it represented supported the authenticity and genuineness of the memorabilia it sold to ARA and others.

ARA's dispute with Gallery of Dreams began during a November 13, 2009 hearing in a lawsuit ARA filed in 2007 against Frank Caiazzo, d/b/a, the Beatles Autographs, for defamation, unfair and deceptive trade practices and unfair competition. During this hearing, ARA's president Jerry Gladstone, during a cross examination by Caiazzo's lawyer, was handed photographs of celebrities signing guitars that were "doctored". In a rather dramatic moment, (Someone from the Caiazzo camp notified the press) Caiazzo and his business allies (Steve Cyrkin and Roger Epperson) thought they dropped a bomb on ARA. It was, actually, a dud. Mr. Gladstone vehemently denied having altered photographs or having any knowledge that the autographs were altered. He promised to fully investigate immediately following the hearing. In contrast, Caiazzo and his lawyers had "sandbagged" revelation of this seemingly legitimate concern with the photos to further their personal concerted smear campaign against ARA. Caiazzo and his supporters had no interest in immediately exposing their apparent discovery of the doctored photos to protect the public from further damage. No, there continued interests were self-centered and motivated by self-preservation, rather than for the good of the industry as a whole. In reality ARA did not tamper with any of the photos. In fact ARA is now aggressively seeking justice against Gallery of Dreams.

ARA takes these issues very seriously. ARA has provided the press with supporting information to confirm that it did not participate in any wrong doing and that it was defrauded by Gallery of Dreams, as alleged in the lawsuit.

A more dramatic point during the November 13 hearing was when Frank Caiazzo admitted, for the first time in an open forum, that he has no formal training what so ever to support his self-proclaimed status as a "handwriting expert." It was also disclosed in a deposition in that litigation that Caiazzo has placed his own Beatles material (bearing his own certificates of authenticity) for sale in major auction houses, including Christies, Sotheby's, Alexander's Auction, and eBay. When Caiazzo was asked who checks his work before it goes into auction his answer was "nobody." Only he, who admittedly has no formal training what so ever, authenticates these items!

Caiazzo was questioned about another document during the November 13 hearing, a Certificate of Authenticity he issued on a "Please Please Me" Beatles album. His own counsel had placed the item into evidence as a defense Exhibit! ARA counsel grilled Caiazzo as to whether this certificate authenticated as legitimate a "Please Please Me" album which was fabricated by transferring three Beatles signatures from a menu and one from a clip to the album. Caiazzo had already admitted to having certified a "Sgt. Pepper's" album which bore signatures transferred from another item to the album. In that deposition, Caiazzo testified, under oath, that it was ok to transfer signatures as long as one discloses it in the certificate. There was no such disclosure on the "Please Please Me" album that Frank Caiazzo certified on April 12, 2005. In addition "provenance" was included in that Caiazzo certificate. He represented that this Beatles album was signed by the Beatles for a young girl waiting for them outside a venue! During the hearing on November 13, Caiazzo testified that it was possible that his April 12, 2005, certificate was for the very same "Please Please Me" album. Chances are, it was, particularly if one accepts Caiazzo's own suggestion that only had a handful of Beatles albums exist bearing all four of their autographs.

ARA has been doing business for over 24 years with a stellar reputation. It has an A+ Rating from the Better Business Bureau. ARA was founded in 1986, and has held numerous worldwide publishing and distribution rights for MGM/Rocky, Apple Corp., Disney Studios, Frank Sinatra Enterprises, Twentieth Century Fox, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Warner Bros., DreamWorks, artist Joe Petruccio, Jefferson Airplane's Marty Balin, and photography from the Hulton Archive of London, MirrorPix, James Fortune Peter Simon and, most recently, the Rock n Roll Fantasy Camp. ARA will continue to do all it can to put an end to the unfair and deceptive practices and to eventually restore peace, honesty and integrity to this industry.