Posts tagged as:

right of publicity

October 6 roundup

by Walter Olson on October 6, 2009

  • Woman who escaped first WTC bombing broke her ankle ten days later. Should New York’s Port Authority pay her $500,000? [Hochfelder]
  • Former New York congressman and Pace Law School dean Richard Ottinger and wife rebuffed in what court deems SLAPP suit against commenter who criticized them on online forum; commenter says legal fees have cost him two years’ income [White Plains Journal-News, Westchester County; earlier] Amici in Massachusetts case endorse anti-SLAPP protection for staff of media and advocacy organizations [Citizen Media Law] “Canadian Court Rejects Defamation Liability for Hyperlinks” [same]
  • “Chuck Yeager Tries Again to Stretch Right of Publicity” [OnPoint News, earlier]
  • And naturally the advocates are demanding more regulation rather than less: “[Restaurant] Calorie Postings Don’t Change Habits, Study Finds” [NYT] More: Ryan Sager, Jacob Sullum.
  • Famed L.A. lawyers Thomas Girardi and Walter Lack might get off with wrist-slaps over Nicaraguan banana suit scandal [The Recorder, Cal Civil Justice, earlier]
  • Ralph Lauren lawyers: don’t you dare reproduce our skinny-model photo in the course of criticizing our use of skinny models [BoingBoing; and welcome Ron Coleman, Popehat readers; more at Citizen Media Law and an update at BoingBoing] Copyright expert/author Bill Patry is guestblogging at Volokh Conspiracy [intro, first post, earlier]
  • Profile of John Edwards aide who played key role in Rielle Hunter affair [Ben Smith, Politico]
  • Blind lawyer’s “call girl bilked my credit card” claim includes ADA claim against credit card company (but judge rejects it) [ABA Journal, Above the Law]

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“We cannot allow our brand to be abused”

by Walter Olson on November 14, 2008

The “brand” in question is that of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Likelihood of Confusion, Nov. 13).

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Naked Cowboy vs. Mars suit settles

by Walter Olson on November 11, 2008

Ron Coleman has the report. We covered the case in June.

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French president: I’ll sue voodoo-doll maker

by Walter Olson on October 23, 2008

The company offers a doll for sale resembling President Nicolas Sarkozy (as well as one of his rival, Socialist Segolene Royal). “The doll bears a number of colorful quotes from the outspoken statesman (such as ‘Get lost, you pathetic ______,’ which he allegedly said last year to someone who refused to shake his hand) and comes with a manual telling buyers to stick pins in the quotes.” The nastygram from Sarkozy’s lawyer says the maker must recall the 20,000 dolls or it will infringe on Sarkozy’s “exclusive and absolute rights over his own image”. (Lowering the Bar, Oct. 22; BBC).

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Chuck Yeager, Cingular and the right of publicity

by Walter Olson on June 28, 2008

The legendary test pilot sued the cellphone company — and has gotten past summary judgment with his claim — because a Cingular press release compared one of the company’s technical innovations to his work breaking the sound barrier. (Rebecca Tushnet, Jun. 22 via David Post @ Volokh).

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