The right of publicity is a state law that protects individuals' identities from being used by others without permission. The boundaries of the claim vary widely from state to state. Rothman's Roadmap to the Right of Publicity provides an interactive overview of each state's right of publicity laws, as well as breaking news and commentary by Jennifer Rothman, one of the leading scholars in the field.

Right of Publicity State-by-State

Select a state or territory to learn more about its right of publicity laws.

Latest News & Commentary

Toddlers' Lawsuit Against Trump Tossed in Test of New York’s Expanded anti-SLAPP Law
race toddlers trump right of publicity new york lawsuit
On July 9th, a New York trial court dismissed the high-profile lawsuit against Trump, Trump for President, Inc. (“TFP), and Lance Cook brought by the parents of two toddlers whose embrace was transformed from a meme of racial harmony into an edited...
Dua Lipa Sued Over Posting Photo of Herself on Instagram
Dua Lipa Instagram copyright right of publicity lawsuit
Dua Lipa has been sued by Integral Images, Inc. in district court in California for posting a photo of herself on her Instagram feed.  This is yet another in a string of copyright lawsuits arising out of celebrities (like Khloe...
Sacha Baron Cohen Sues Over Unauthorized Ad Campaign
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Earlier this week, film and television actor Sacha Baron Cohen and his company, Please You Can Touch, sued Solar Therapeutics in district court in Massachusetts for the unauthorized use of his likeness, Borat character, and the character's catch-...
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More News & Commentary

Coca-Cola Wins Round II as California Appellate Court Reverses Massive Jury Award
hansen soda coca cola right of publicity postmortem
The California Court of Appeal for the Fourth District reversed an almost $10 million jury award against Coca-Cola in Hansen v. Coca-Cola Company in a recent unpublished decision. The dispute arises out of the Hansen’s sodas and juice brand...
Win for Free Speech and Docudramas in New York
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Last week a New York appellate court granted the defendant’s summary judgment motion in Porco v. Lifetime Entertainment Services, the long-running dispute over Lifetime’s ripped-from-the-headlines docudrama Romeo Killer: The Chris Porco...
Mixed Victory for Jackson Estate in Tax Court
michael jackson estate right of publicity right of privacy tax litigation irs tax court decision publicity name and likeness rights
On May 3rd, the U.S. Tax Court issued the long-awaited decision in the long-running litigation over the estate taxes owed by the Michael Jackson estate. In a sweeping 253-page opinion (with additional appendices) the Tax Court, clearly cognizant...
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The Book

Privacy Reimagined For A Public World

THE RIGHT OF PUBLICITY: Privacy Reimagined for a Public World

This book from Harvard University Press by Professor Jennifer Rothman traces the history and development of the right of publicity and its current collision course with individual liberty, free speech and copyright law.

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