Source: https://itlaw.wikia.org/wiki/Right_of_publicity
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 10:35:02+00:00

Document:
The right of publicity was essentially an outgrowth of the right of privacy in the United States, and is still often referred to as a "subset" of privacy rights. Generally, the right of publicity is the right of individuals, particularly celebrities, to control how others use their names, images and voice. In some jurisdictions, it only applies to commercial advertising. In others, it is broader, and applies to any commercial exploitation.
The extent of recognition of this right in the United States is largely driven by statute or case law. Because the right of publicity is governed by state law (as opposed to federal law), the degree of recognition of the right varies significantly from one state to another. To date, twenty-eight states have recognized the right, either in their case law, by statute or both.
A commonly-cited justification for this doctrine, from a policy standpoint, is the notion of natural rights and the idea that every individual should have a right to control how, if at all, his or her "persona" is commercialized by third parties. Usually, the motivation to engage in such commercialization is to help propel sales or visibility for a product or service, which usually amounts to some form of commercial speech (which in turn receives the lowest level of judicial protection). Many commentators consider the right of publicity to be a property right, as opposed to a personal right.
The common law right also requires that this right "be balanced against the public interest in the dissemination of news and information consistent with the democratic processes under the constitutional guaranties of freedom of speech and of the press."
For purposes of the statute, a use of a name, image and likeness in connection with any news or public affairs broadcast does not constitute a use for which consent is required. Additionally, the section does not apply to the owners or employees of any medium used for advertising, unless the owners or employees have knowledge of an unauthorized use.
↑ See, e.g., ETW Corp. v. Jireh Pub., Inc., 332 F.3d 915, 928 (6th Cir. 2003) (full-text).
↑ 202 F.2d 866 (2d Cir.) (full-text), cert. denied, 346 U.S. 816 (1953).
↑ See, e.g., ETW Corp., 332 F.3d at 929.
↑ C.B.C. Distrib. and Marketing, Inc. v. Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P., 505 F.3d 818, 822 (8th Cir. 2007) (full-text) (citing Zacchini v. Scripps-Howard Broad. Co., 433 U.S. 562, 566 (1977) (full-text)).
↑ Bosley v. Wildwett.com, 310 F.Supp.2d 914, 935 (N.D. Ohio 2004).
↑ See, e.g., Martin Luther King, Jr., Center for Social Change, Inc. v. American Heritage Products, Inc., 694 F.2d 674, 676 (11th Cir. 1983) (“The right of publicity may be defined as a celebrity's right to the exclusive use of his or her name and likeness.”); Carson v. Here's Johnny Portable Toilets, Inc., 698 F.2d 831, 835 (6th Cir. 1983) (internal citations omitted) (“The right of publicity has developed to protect the commercial interest of celebrities in their identities.”).
↑ ETW Corp., 332 F.3d at 953 (internal citations omitted).
↑ Gionfriddo v. Major League Baseball, 94 Cal.App.4th 400, 408, 114 Cal.Rptr.2d 307 (Cal. App. 2001).
↑ Id. at 409, 114 Cal. Rptr. 2d 307.
↑ Cal. Civ. Code § 3344(d).

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 § 3344