Kiwi strip club boss sues over billboard ad ban!

Wellington, Jan 6 (ANI): Owner of a strip club in New Zealand has challenged a council ban on his club's raunchy billboard.

Craig Trevenna, boss of New Plymouth's Crave Club, was forced to remove the billboard featuring Lisa Lewis because of a bylaw that forbids commercial sex premises from advertising anywhere but on their own premises.

Trevenna disputes the council classification and plans to fight to have it changed to an entertainment venue.

"We are not a brothel, I don't believe in them and I won't stand for them, we are an entertainment venue and offer a safe and fun environment," the NZPA quoted him as saying.

However, the NPDC claims that going by the definitions in the bylaw, the club was classed as a commercial sex premises.

"Therefore the club is subject to the restrictions on signage," said customer services general manager Cathy Thurston.

But, she claimed that the bylaw did not apply to other businesses.

Trevenna is furious that while other businesses could use explicit images in advertising, on the other hand their industry is being discriminated against.

"It's a hypocritical situation that we are in. I feel we are being stripped of our right to advertise. We want equal rights to market our business the same as everyone else," he said.

Trevenna said that there should be a level playing field for all business advertising, and they should be judged on the content of the ad and not the product.

"All businesses should have the ability to advertise, provided it is done tastefully," he said. (ANI)