Source: https://everythingtrademarks.com/2014/01/14/tweets-in-ads-and-trademark-law/
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 02:27:46+00:00

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The recent A.O. Scott “tweet in ad” affair is the stuff that dreams are made of (a film reference seemed appropriate) … law school professor dreams that is. Like a law school essay exam, the fact pattern is good issue spotting stuff.
For the uninitiated, I suggest starting here, then read The New York Times’ public editor’s take, and finally A.O. Scott’s published response.
Media coverage generally focused on issues relating to copyright, fair use and Twitter policy (with a few passing mentions of trademark claims, if at all). Legal analysis was often lacking in large part because the interplay between social media, advertising and intellectual property is an evolving area of law. Ultimately, while it did open public discourse on what (to me anyway) are some very interesting issues … the episode did nothing, and will do nothing, to advance American jurisprudence.
So why did the ad appear in The New York Times? Read this article describing the tensions between the advertising side and editorial side of newspapers. Times are tough in the print advertising business. It was, after all, a $70,000 full-page display ad. It appears A.O. Scott’s hands were tied since The New York Times is his employer. Take that out of the equation and I suspect we have a different outcome here.
Lets assume it did and A.O. Scott wanted to stop it. His best shot may be to rely on trademark law not copyright — in particular “false endorsement” under the federal Lanham (or Trademark) Act. A separate state “right of publicity” claim is often alleged along with false endorsement (and perhaps the strongest claim here but not my focus); however, not all states recognize the right and its scope varies from state to state (New York recognizes a non-descendible right of publicity).
Public figures and celebrities have an obvious commercial interest in protecting their names, likeness and personas. Woody Allen, Tom Waits and Vanna White are three celebrities who have successfully used the Lanham Act based on false endorsement claims. A.O. Scott is a public figure. But there is no express requirement that an individual plaintiff be a “public figure” or “celebrity” to bring a false endorsement claim.
“False endorsement occurs when a person’s identity is connected with a product or service in such a way that consumers are likely to be misled about that person’s sponsorship or approval of the product or service.” Stayart v. Yahoo! Inc., 651 F. Supp.2d 873, 880-81 (E.D. Wis. 2009) (popularity or celebrity not necessary to bring false endorsement claim).
“Any person” can bring a claim under the Lanham Act but “any person” doesn’t really mean “any person.” The Lanham Act was designed to redress commercial confusion so courts interpret “any person” under §43(a) to refer to a person with a commercial interest in their name.
“all a commercial party needs to bring suit under the Act is a ‘reasonable interest to be protected’ against activities that violate the Act.” … In short, to satisfy the prudential standing requirement for a false endorsement claim under the Lanham Act, a plaintiff must show an intent to commercialize an interest in her identity.
Doe v. Friendfinder Network, Inc., 540 F.Supp.2d 288, 301 (D.N.H. 2008) quoting 1 McCarthy, Rights of Publicity, § 5:22.
This is a messy area of law highly dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. The various federal circuits employ different tests and elements for false endorsement claims. Even for purposes of establishing standing under §43(a) (in fact, next term the U.S. Supreme Court will decide two cases – 1 & 2 – involving standing to bring a false advertising, not endorsement, claim under §43(a)(1)(B) of the Lanham Act). Add social media to the mix and things are clearly muddled (oxymoron intended).
Which leads one to wonder … what would stop an advertiser from using one of YOUR tweets in an ad without your consent?
The majority of Twitter users are non-celebrities/non-public figures. If you tweet “I love my iPhone” – in any context – can you stop Apple from using your tweet in an ad without your consent?
And what’s Twitter’s role in all this? Is Twitter going to police and enforce its rules and terms on behalf of its users?
The threshold question for most is … does use of a Twitter account by a non-celebrity/non-public figure satisfy the commercial requirement to establish standing for a false endorsement claim under §43(a)?
In Maremont v. Susan Fredman Design Group, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26441 (N.D. Ill.; March 15, 2011), a district court determined that use of Twitter and Facebook accounts to create a “following” in a particular professional industry demonstrated that plaintiff had commercialized her name.
Arguably, any professional who actively uses a Twitter or Facebook account to market their skills and develop a following may satisfy the commercial requirement (at least to survive a motion for summary judgment at the Northern District of Illinois).
That leaves out people who only use social media for personal or non-business purposes. Are these purely non-commercial uses? The second inquiry is whether a non-celebrity/non-public figure can establish a likelihood of consumer confusion. As far as I know, courts have not decided these issues.
At some point they will. Things like this are happening.
My reasons for wanting you to see the movie are not exactly the same as those of CBS Films, the U.S. distributor, or Scott Rudin, a producer of the movie — my profit on the deal is strictly karmic — but we all agree that you should see it.
Irrespective of whether the statement in the ad is literally false, given the context it is misleading and confusing; all of which makes unauthorized use of the tweet potentially actionable as a false endorsement.
Fare thee well, Mr. Scott, under trademark law.
As for the rest of us “non-celebrity” Twitter users … there is a colorable claim there … but it’s in various shades of gray.

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