News & Commentary

Constitutional Law and Intellectual Property Law Professors Call on Supreme Court to Review Davis

November 4, 2015 1:45 pm PT

Supreme Court Davis v EA right of publicity cert petition

Professor Eugene Volokh (UCLA) and I filed a brief today in support of granting certiorari in Davis v. Electronic Arts. The brief was signed on to by many leading constitutional law and IP law scholars. We call on the Supreme Court to address the disarray among lower courts about how to...

Another Biopic lawsuit – This Time Straight Outta Compton

November 2, 2015 6:15 pm PT

Heller v NBC Universal Straight Outta Compton Right of Publicity Complaint

With success often comes lawsuits and the movie Straight Outta Compton is no exception. On Friday, the music manager Jerry Heller sued NBC Universal and others involved with the film claiming that the character in the film played by actor Paul Giamatti misappropriates his identity by using...

NFL Players Sue FanDuel for its Fantasy Football Game

October 30, 2015 3:30 pm PT

NFL Players Garcon v. FanDuel Right of Publicity Claim

Pierre Garcon and other NFL Players filed suit today in federal district court in Maryland claiming that their names and likenesses were misapproriated in FanDuel's fantasy football game. The complaint includes both right of publicity and false endorsement claims. No question that here...

And the Suits Against Strip Clubs Keep Coming

October 30, 2015 12:30 pm PT

Voronina v. Stan -Right of PUblicity claim against The Playhouse

Another group of models has sued for the unauthorized use of their images by a strip club -- this time in Florida for the use of their images to promote The Playhouse strip club. The Complaint includes right of publicity claims under Florida Stat. §540.08 and the common law, among other...

Another Right of Publicity Suit Against a Strip Club

October 28, 2015 9:00 pm PT

Play Pen Timed Out v. Pajounia Right of Publicity Case

Yet another right of publicity lawsuit against a strip club was filed yesterday for the alleged use of models' images to promote the club without their permission. This suit was filed in California state court against the Play Pen gentleman’s club in Los Angeles, a venue that unsuccessfully tried...

Hasbro Contends that Same-Named Hamster Does Not Evoke Newscaster's Identity

October 27, 2015 5:00 pm PT

Side by Side comparison of Harris Faulkner hamster and newscaster in right of publicity case

Hasbro filed a motion Monday to dismiss newscaster Harris Faulkner's right of publicity claim against the toy maker for giving a stuffed hamster toy the same name as her. The defendant contends that because the hamster toy looks nothing like the newscaster and the use of her name alone does not...

Bride and Groom Sue Wedding Photographer

October 26, 2015 9:45 pm PT

A married couple sued their wedding photographer, not for bad photos, but for violating their rights of publicity by using their wedding photos in promotional brochures. The couple explicitly opted out of allowing the use of their photographs other than for their own personal use. The couple...

8th Circuit Appears Divided in Dryer v. NFL Oral Arguments

October 26, 2015 6:30 pm PT

The oral arguments from last Thursday’s hearing before the 8th Circuit in Dryer highlight a host of flashpoints in right of publicity law. The arguments focused on whether the use of historical film clips constituted commercial speech. The plaintiffs’ attorney claimed that the use by...

Singer-Songwriter Sues for Unwitting Product Placement Arising out of Interview

October 26, 2015 6:15 pm PT

Esnavi aka Madyun Right of Publicity claim

Nafeesha Madyun, aka Esnavi has sued for right of publicity violations under New York Civil Rights Law Sections 50 & 51 for the allegedly unwitting product placement of a Hyundai in her consenusal interview when that interview was repurposed in an ad campaign by the automaker. The case...

Playboy Playmates Sue Strip Club for Using Their Images

October 21, 2015 10:15 am PT

Successful Playboy models, Tiffany Selby, Irina Voronina, and Joanna Krupa, have sued a New York strip club, Café Royale, for using their images to promote the venue. The models complaint includes claims for right of publicity violations (under New York Civil Rights Law §§ 50-51), false...

Pages

The Book

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.

Now Available

Also available at Target and Walmart