Opinion ID: 1327667
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Classification of Tort

Text: Initially, we note that the character of a complaint is determined by its factual allegations, not the label assigned to it. The right of publicity is best defined as the `inherent right of every human being to control the commercial use of his or her identity.' Thomas Phillip Boggess V, Cause of Action for an Infringement of the Right of Publicity, 31 Causes of Action 2d 121, 144 (2006) (quoting McCarthy, The Rights of Publicity and Privacy 2d § 1:3). The focus is on commercial use and the right to control that use and to be compensated monetarily for that use; whereas, the right to privacy addresses damages of a person's mental psyche. Id. at 141. Professor William Prosser identified four basic torts under the right to privacy: (1) intrusion, (2) disclosure, (3) false light, and (4) appropriation. Id. at 139. The first three torts are based upon the idea that a person has the right to be left alone, whereas the fourth is based on the theory that a person has the right to control his or her identity. Id. The term right of publicity was coined to break away from the theory of the right to privacy. Id. at 138. Most states now recognize some form of the right of publicity, either under the common law or by statute. Id. at 140. Jurisdictions have recognized a right of publicity either by expressly acknowledging a separate tort for the right of publicity or by finding it is encompassed within the four classic privacy torts, specifically, wrongful appropriation. See Pooley v. Nat'l Hole-In-One Ass'n, 89 F.Supp.2d 1108, 1111 (D.Ariz. 2000) (noting [t]he common law right of privacy provides protection against four distinct categories of invasion: (1) intrusion upon a plaintiffs seclusion or solitude, or into his private affairs; (2) public disclosure of embarrassing private facts about a plaintiff; (3) publicity which places the plaintiff in a false light in the public eye; and (4) appropriation, for the defendant's advantage, of the plaintiff's name or likeness, and this fourth category is commonly referred to as appropriation... or the right of publicity); Winterland Concessions Co. v. Sileo, 528 F.Supp. 1201, 1213 (D.Ill.1981) (One of the species of the right of privacy recognized by the cases and the commentators is the right of publicity. Violation of this right constitutes the tort of appropriation of a plaintiff's name or likeness for [the] defendant's benefit.). We have previously stated that South Carolina recognizes three distinct causes of action under the rubric of invasion of privacy: In South Carolina, there are three separate and distinct causes of action for invasion of privacy: 1) wrongful appropriation of personality; 2) wrongful publicizing of private affairs; and 3) wrongful intrusion into private affairs. Swinton Creek Nursery v. Edisto Farm Credit, 334 S.C. 469, 514 S.E.2d 126 (1999). Wrongful appropriation of personality involves the intentional, unconsented use of the plaintiff's name, likeness, or identity by the defendant for his own benefit. The gist of the action is the violation of the plaintiff's exclusive right at common law to publicize and profit from his name, likeness, and other aspects of personal identity. Snakenberg v. Hartford Cas. Ins. Co., 299 S.C. 164, 383 S.E.2d 2 (Ct.App.1989). Sloan v. South Carolina Dep't. of Pub. Safety, 355 S.C. 321, 325-26, 586 S.E.2d 108, 110 (2003). Encompassed in these three recognized torts is the infringement on the right of publicity; it is denominated wrongful appropriation of personality. It addresses the plaintiff's right to the commercial protection of his name, likeness, or identity. See id. at 326, 586 S.E.2d at 110 (stating wrongful appropriation of personality concerns the plaintiff's right at common law to publicize and profit from his name or identity). In fact, we have recognized this cause of action in some form since at least 1940. In Holloman v. Life Insurance Co. of Virginia, 192 S.C. 454, 458, 7 S.E.2d 169, 171 (1940), we considered the following question: Does the invasion of privacy by a commercial use of plaintiff's name against her consent entitle plaintiff to damages? We answered in the affirmative: The right of privacy is one which was not definitely recognized by the law until comparatively recent times. But we find ourselves in agreement with a number of authorities to the effect that the violation of such a right is under certain circumstances a tort which would entitle the injured person to recover damages. But the right of privacy is correctly defined in 21 R.C.L. 1196 as the right to be let alone; the right of a person to be free from unwarranted publicity. Or more specifically but less accurately, the right to live without one's name, picture or statue, or that of a relative, made public against his will. Id. (emphasis added). We hold South Carolina does recognize the tort of infringement on the right of publicity. The facts alleged, not just the name of the cause of action used, should be examined in assessing whether a valid claim has been asserted. Cf. Baird v. Charleston County, 333 S.C. 519, 527, 511 S.E.2d 69, 73 (1999) (stating when considering a motion to dismiss, a court should look to the factual allegations made in the complaint, and the motion may not be sustained if the facts alleged and inferences therefrom would entitle the plaintiff to any relief on any theory).