Edwards sex tape may be sold to highest bidder

Earlier today, Rielle Hunter, former mistress of once Presidential hopeful John Edwards, sought and won an injunction for the return of a video that reportedly contains images of Mr. Edwards and Ms. Hunter engaged in sexual activity.

Yet, the injunction Ms. Hunter won today is only temporary, and may ultimately prove ineffective. Former Edwards aid, Andrew Young, claims he ’found’ the tape in boxes as he was preparing Mr. Edwards home for sale. This claim is somewhat suspect, as others close to the case have reported that he allegedly ’shopped’ the tape around for financial gain. It is not clear if these efforts included contact with Edwards and Hunter, media outlets or both, but additional sources report that Ms. Hunter’s motive for seeking an injunction in the first place was the rumor that Mr. Young was planning to sell the tape. Despite Hunter's legal efforts, Young has already profited. The furor around the tape just happens to coincide with the release of his book about Mr. Edwards. The tell-all nature of that book may indicate that Mr. Young’s scruples may be limited when considering profit. And the fact remains that even if Mr. Young complies fully with the order to return the tape, and any copies, there is nothing to stop him from releasing it outside the jurisdiction of US Courts. According to an interview with ABC’s 20/20, Young already has copies in waiting. He stated during that interview he earlier planned to place a copy of the tape in a safe deposit box, and one with an attorney to be released publicly ‘should anything unfortunate befall us.’ In 2004, Paris Hilton received a $400,000 award for the unauthorized release of her sex tape. The profits from its commercial release abroad were sufficient to pay the award, and provide those who distributed it, and the source of the tape, her ex-boyfriend, with enough money to compensate for the inconvenience.