This class action case began in 1998 when several plaintiffs filed both state and federal class actions against American Family Publishers and their related companies for direct mail solicitation of magazine subscriptions. The plaintiffs allege that the marketing materials sent to consumers misleadingly suggested that it was either necessary to purchase magazine subscriptions to win sweepstake prizes, or that purchasing the subscriptions or other merchandise enhanced their chances of winning a prize. The cases were subsequently consolidated in federal court in New Jersey.