Category: Right of publicity
Right of publicity
After fans ripped ‘Michael’ for ‘fake’ songs, Sony and King of Pop’s estate won free-speech protection for product answers, judges find
The King of Pop may have died a decade ago but his legacy of litigation lives on, as a California...
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Olivia de Havilland’s legal feud with TV show? It’s gone with the wind, after appellate judges in Calif. toss iconic actress’ publicity rights suit
Ah, so it is Tinsel Town true: Even icons of the silver screen can take a contrarian view of a...
Read MoreCalif. appeals court sees ‘Simpsons’ mob lampoon as protected satire, sends out character actor’s beef with cartoon show for a shine boxing
The notorious criminal Henry Hill, as played by actor Ray Liotta, once summarized a key wiseguy...
Read MoreHere’s a ruling, straight (no chaser): Thelonious Monk estate can bop on with move to flatten a Mendocino craft brewer’s beer
Ruby, my dear, the man himself might have said ‘Round midnight, these cats aren’t...
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A sourpuss the internet adores scratched up java vendors who messed with her mug. But her $710,000 court win isn’t a path-breaker for animals’ rights
If Uncle Sam’s halls of civil justice weren’t crowded enough with growling two-legged...
Read MoreAlex Hunter isn’t the real thing. He’s virtual. And Coke has made this star an endorsement pioneer. (Take note Entertainment Law practitioners)
He’s a popular soccer player, a star in the English Premier League with millions of...
Read MoreNew Hollywood theater brings out the dead. Now what legal specters might haunt post-mortem, holographic performances?
Sadly, they’re long gone — but, no wait, they’re back! Some pop musical legends have...
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Champs’ publicity-rights claim slapped down
With federal copyright laws holding sway, online sales are acceptable of prized photos of...
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Oh, no, you don’t: Infringement claims revived
Appellate judges say trial, facts needed to determine if web service’s claim for ‘safe harbor’...
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Is an icon’s image too generic to trademark?
Bitter battle by Marilyn Monroe estate to protect her legacy may have unforeseen consequences for...
Read MoreFilmmakers’ win with a First Amendment blast
With everyone from Hollywood producers to video game makers poring over the headlines for compelling people stories to convert into hot properties or products, California’s right of publicity law long has sought to:...
Read MoreQueen of Soul takes on new role: doc blocker
This guest post was written by Sylvanna Le, a 2L enrolled in Southwestern Law School’s Entertainment Law and Web 2.0 course: She’s a papal headline performer and has been crowned by critics as the Queen of Soul. But...
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Jordan’s rebuke for grocer’s ad? $8.9 million
He has insisted all along the way that his long legal battle was all about the power and pride of...
Read MoreQ.-&-A.: Bert Fields on post-mortem rights
When legendary Entertainment lawyer Bert Fields recently addressed the Harvard Law Association at the Beverly Hills Bar, he, of course, brought down the house, delighting his audience with his comments on an array of topics. His...
Read MoreIn big-dollar publicity rights bid, athletes lose
Onetime college athletes seemed to have gotten a big win over broadcast networks and video game makers last year when a federal judge in California ruled that the NCAA could not keep athletes from licensing their own names and...
Read MoreIn latest twist in ad suit, Jordan tastes defeat
As the San Antonio Spurs and Manny Pacquiao could well advise basketball legend Michael Jordan, even champions don’t win every contest. Jordan himself discovered this off the hard courts and in a court of law recently,...
Read MoreAppeals court stands up for Marley heirs’ rights
Select musicians cross genres and generations and their inspirational messages resonate widely, such as the great Bob Marley‘s mantra to “love the life you live, live the life you love.” While the late reggae master could...
Read MoreIn Iggy Azalea ruling, rap’s ugly aspects show
When an ambitious teen from Down Under travels to the United States to launch a career in a rough-and-tumble part of the music business, the results aren’t always pretty, as the artist known as Iggy Azalea has discovered....
Read MoreFilm’s free speech KO’s killer’s publicity rights
The true life story of Chris Porco, a University of Rochester student convicted of killing his father and attempting to kill his mother, seemed like something out of a movie. The story was so horrific that it drew national...
Read More50 Cent rings up partial win over hip hop site
When hip hop artist, 50 Cent, first hit the music scene, many joked about his name and thought he would not last. But it looks like the joke’s on them as “50” has risen to the top, turning his rap career into a business...
Read MoreMJ, appellate court wipe away grocer’s score
When a Chicago grocer sought to elbow into a Michael Jordan moment and score points for itself, the basketball superstar showed that he could throw down in a court of law as well as on the hard wood, getting an appellate court...
Read MoreWhen Bing Crosby wives duel, No. 2 wins
A tale of Hollywood love has ended in a cat fight from the grave — this clawing concerning the right of publicity by booming baritone Bing Crosby, the legendary music, film, television and radio superstar. His relationship...
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Judge halts suit over buffed up Einstein ad
A depiction of a buffed up Albert Einstein does not provide grounds for a lawsuit, U.S. District...
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Does fan ‘love’ heal copyright, TM wounds?
Josh Wattles, an adjunct faculty member at Southwestern Law School and adviser in chief to...
Read More RIP Marilyn? Not a ghost of a legal chance
Delebs — dead celebrities — are a thriving business. Authentic Brands Group purchased...
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