Opinion ID: 2620459
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Moore’s Image in Advertising Inserts

Text: This First Amendment protection falls away, Moore argues, in the case of the advertising insert featuring his image that Concord and Genius Products packaged with the Soundtrack’s compact discs and Genius Products’ DVDs. (R. 342-27, Concord Insert.) The insert’s commercial -8- No. 12-5715 Moore v. Weinstein Co. purpose, Moore argues, precludes application of the First Amendment’s protections because the insert has “nothing whatsoever to do with the Movie or Soundtrack.” To promote sales of other Concord-owned CDs and DVDs, several pages of the insert, titled “THE ORIGINAL SOUL MEN ARE AT STAX,” reprinted cover art from various Stax Records albums, including Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T & the MGs, The Staple Singers, Wattstax, Angie Stone, Lalah Hathoway, Nikka Costa, and a tribute to the band Earth, Wind, and Fire. Another insert page, captioned “Essential Viewing for your Soul,” featured the images of three DVDs’ cover art: “Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story”; “Dreams to Remember: The Legacy of Otis Redding”; and “The Stax/Volt Revue Live in Norway 1967.” The picture of this last DVD’s cover, “The Stax/Volt Revue Live in Norway 1967,” looks like a concert promotional flyer (“Concert Cover”) and displays the names and images of the performers in that 1967 show: “The Sensational Otis Redding,” “Double Dynamite!! Sam and Dave,” “Arthur Conley,” “Eddie Floyd,” “The Mar-Keys,” and “Booker T. and the M.G.’s.” Concord Music Group’s logo also appears on the bottom righthand corner of the insert. These uses, Moore claims, misappropriate his publicity rights and merit no First Amendment protection. (Appellant Reply Br. at 16.) With regard to the Concert Cover, Moore does not dispute that Concord Music Group owns the rights to promote this video depicting a concert in which he performed. (See R.146, Am. Compl. ¶ 40 n.6 (acknowledging that “Stax filed for bankruptcy in 1975, and certain of the assets of the company were acquired by Fantasy Records in 1977.”); Appellee Br. at 50 n.27.) See also -9- No. 12-5715 Moore v. Weinstein Co. Restatement (Third) of Unfair Competition § 46 cmt. f (“Conduct that would otherwise infringe the personal or commercial interests protected by the rights of privacy and publicity is not actionable if the conduct is within the scope of consent given by the holder of the right.”). Furthermore, the insert title page, which states “THE ORIGINAL SOUL MEN ARE AT STAX,” clearly refers to the numerous soul albums depicted therein, of which the Concert Cover—featuring Sam and Dave, identified as “Double Dynamite”—is but one. (See R. 342-27, Concord Insert, ID 9672, 9687–88.) Moore offers no evidence that the title page causes confusion. Read in context, no reasonable juror would mistake this “Soul Men” reference for Sam & Dave.1 See Restatement (Third) of Unfair Competition § 46 cmt. d (“[I]n the case of an alleged visual likeness, the plaintiff must be reasonably identifiable from the photograph or other depiction.”). And the fact that the soundtrack producers marketed their product to fans of a variety of soul artists, including Sam & Dave, does not suggest otherwise. (See R. 342-27.) Because Moore fails to show a genuine issue on this publicity claim, we affirm the district court’s grant of summary judgment.