Orange’s Experian Sued

A New Jersey consumer data firm claims that credit bureau giant Experian Inc. is reselling proprietary information in violation of an agreement and is asking a federal judge to stop the alleged abuse.

The complaint was filed in federal court in Newark by Database America Companies Inc.

The suit says Database America provides mailing list information to Orange-based Experian on an exclusive basis and alleges that Experian has been ignoring the agreement and reselling the lists to direct mail companies that compete with Database.

Officials at Experian said Wednesday they have not seen the suit and could not comment.

The suit does not seek monetary damages but asks the court to prohibit Experian, pending outcome of an arbitration hearing, from continuing to sell information it has purchased from Database. The suit also asks for an order that Experian reclaim all Database-generated information it has resold to third parties.

Database said it has terminated its licensing agreement with Experian and will be seeking financial damages in the arbitration, which has not yet been scheduled.

Database is a subsidiary of American Business Information Inc. of Omaha. Experian, formerly the credit information services unit of TRW Inc., is owned by Great Universal Stores PLC, a British retail, direct mail and consumer and business information firm.