SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Oct. 25, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Airbnb and The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts are pleased to jointly announce that they have reached an amicable resolution of the lawsuit filed on June 21, 2016 by the Foundation regarding the marketing and promotion of a recent Airbnb “Night At” contest to win a free night’s stay at a home in Provence, France which was used as a vacation home by Julia Child during her lifetime.
The Foundation notes the importance of its non-commercialization policy – a reflection of Julia Child’s own long-standing policy. As stated in a recently released new book on Julia Child, The French Chef in America, “Julia’s aversion to corporate sponsorship was an article of faith. ‘Just last week I was offered a million dollars if I would endorse a new product, but I said no,’ she observed in 1980. ‘Once you start endorsing products, you’re no longer a free agent. Your value is gone.’” The Foundation also emphasizes the historical and educational value of the preservation of Julia Child’s legendary kitchen featured in her iconic television programs at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
The Foundation’s mission is to honor and further Julia Child’s legacy, which centers on the importance of understanding where food comes from, what makes for good food, and the value of cooking. Headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, the Foundation is a non-profit which makes grants to support research in culinary history, scholarships for professional culinary training, internships in food writing as well as professional development and food literacy programs. Over the last decade, the Foundation has made more than $1.25 million in grants to other non-profits. To learn more about the Foundation (and Julia Child’s) non-commercialization policy, please visit the Foundation’s website at http://juliachildfoundation.org/permissions.html.
CONTACT: CONTACT: Jennifer E. Mercer Epiq Strategic Communications for The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts 310-712-6215 [email protected]