Nirvana lawyer responds after federal court revives lawsuit over 'Nevermind' album cover

In this Sept. 6, 2011 photo, Krist Novoselic, left, and Dave Grohl, center, former members of the band Nirvana, pose with Butch Vig, producer of the band's landmark 1991 album "Nevermind," poses in Los Angeles. ederal appeals court has revived a child sexual exploitation lawsuit filed by the man who appeared naked as a 4-month-old infant on the 1991 cover of Nirvana's album "Nevermind." Spencer Elden's lawsuit against the grunge rock group was dismissed last year but a the court in California revived it on Thursday and sent it back to a lower court. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

LOS ANGELES -

A federal appeals court on Thursday revived a child sexual exploitation lawsuit filed by the man who appeared naked as a four-month-old on the cover of Nirvana's 1991 album "Nevermind."

The suit says the image violated federal laws on child sexual abuse material, although no criminal charges were ever sought.

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A federal judge in California threw out the lawsuit last year but allowed Elden to file a revised version, which the judge later dismissed on grounds that it was outside the 10-year statute of limitations of one of the laws used as a cause of action.

Thursday's decision by a three-judge panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in California reversed that ruling and sent the case back to the lower court.

The appellate panel found that each republication of an image "may constitute a new personal injury" with a new deadline and cited the image's appearance on a 30th anniversary reissue of "Nevermind" in 2021.

"The question whether the 'Nevermind' album cover meets the definition of child pornography is not at issue in this appeal," the court wrote, according to the New York Times.

In an email to The Associated Press, Nirvana attorney Bert Deixler called the ruling a "procedural setback."

"We will defend this meritless case with vigour and expect to prevail," he wrote.

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been victims of sexual abuse unless they come forward publicly, as Elden has.