If you are making use of a celebrity or public figure in your project you need to be aware that over the last 10-20 years, legal developments have created new rights for deceased celebrities when they are used commercially. Celebrities now own and control the commercial use of their names and likenesses, both during their lifetimes and for at least 100 years after their deaths. The commercial use of clips from movies and TV programs is complicated and expensive because of the large number of rights involved. Also, permission may be required from the Writers and Directors Guilds. Movie companies and TV producers tend to charge high fees and some of them do not allow their clips to be used.
Some performers are difficult to locate.
Other rights, such as music used in the clip, may also require separate permission. The photographer who took the picture is usually the owner, but some photos are owned by organizations - newspapers, magazines, wire services, et cetera. Commercial use of a pictured subject may involve other rights . Do not assume that permission from a stock photo house implies permission to use the likeness of any person appearing in a photo, or a brand name, trademark, or logo. If the person is a celebrity or a public figure, you may have to obtain permission as discussed under Celebrities in this section.