Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Commons^™

Calculating The Harms Of Political Use Of Popular Music, Jake Linford, Aaron Perzanowski

Articles

When Donald Trump descended the escalator of Trump Tower to announce his 2016 presidential bid, Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” blared from the loudspeakers. Almost immediately, Young’s management made clear that the campaign’s use of the song was unauthorized. Neil Young was not alone. Trump drew similar objections from dozens of artists during his first two presidential bids. But as a matter of copyright law, it is unclear whether artists can prevent their songs from being played at campaign rallies.

Brief Of Amici Curiae Intellectual Property Law Professors, Mark Mckenna, Rebecca Tushnet, Yvette Joy Liebesman, John A. Conway

Court Briefs

Untethered to a sufficient public policy interest, right of publicity claims have exploded nationwide. Plaintiffs have asserted claims against inspirational plaques featuring civil rights icons, Rosa and Raymond Parks Inst. for Self Dev. v. Target Corp., 812 F.3d 824 (11th Cir. 2016),artwork commemorating significant events, Moore v. Weinstein Co., LLC, 545 Fed. App’x. 405 , 407 (6th Cir. 2013); ETW Corp. v. Jireh Publ’g, Inc., 332 F.3d 915 (6th Cir. 2003), Wikipedia edits that truthfully connected an astronaut with the watch he wore on his Moon walk, Scott v. Citizen Watch Co. of Am., Inc., 17-CV-00436-NC, 2018 WL 1626773 (N.D. …

Harmonizing The Tension Between The First Amendment And Publicity Rights And Finding The Right Balance: Discerning How Much Freedom Is Warranted And What Needs Protection, William Buchsbaum

The University of Cincinnati Intellectual Property and Computer Law Journal

This paper examines the tension between the First Amendment and Publicity Rights considering why and how friction is emerging, the legal underpinnings and theories behind the development of publicity rights and how to reconcile this with values raised in support of the First Amendment. This collision course of rights occurs where property interests have vested in human identity itself which brings us face to face with the outer limits of free speech and expression under the First Amendment and evens tests the notion of how we define speech. The paper takes a dive into some of the currently arising issues …

Squeezing "The Juice": Can The Right Of Publicity Be Used To Satisfy A Civil Judgment?, Hastings H. Beard

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

Pwnd Or Owned? The Right Of Publicity And Identity Ownership In League Of Legends, Adam Levy

Pace Intellectual Property, Sports & Entertainment Law Forum

E-sports is a new and growing form of entertainment, where gamers at the peak level of their skill compete for prestige and prizes. The contracts these athletes have are evident of a problem within the legal field of the right of publicity: there are few, if any, protections for individuals who want to license their right of publicity. The growth of E-sports has shown us the caveat emptor approach taken by courts does not adequately protect the licensee from having their privacy intruded upon. Adopting a set of standards for licensing the right of publicity would protect the privacy of …

The Wrong Of Publicity, Albert Vetere

Pace Intellectual Property, Sports & Entertainment Law Forum

The right of publicity has been, since at least 1977, a recognized concept. It was used, much like the other areas of intellectual property law to protect what a person had worked hard to create, in this case the concept of themselves. Their creativity in making themselves known and in having an "act" was worth protecting. However, the right of publicity has drastically changed since its conception. What is has become in the past almost forty years is a strange amalgamation of concepts, protected by laws that were never meant to be used to protect it in the first place. …

The Celebrity Behind The Brand International Protection Of The Right Of Publicity, Eliana Torres

Pace Intellectual Property, Sports & Entertainment Law Forum

Part I of the article provides an overview of the right of publicity and its history. It presents the importance of this right, particularly for celebrities, and it focuses on the influence of the entertainment and sports industries in a global economy. Then, it analyzes the major differences in level of protection, scope and length, starting with the United States. Then it uses the standard in the United States and compares it with the protection offered in 22 selected jurisdictions based on a survey report by Kenyon & Kenyon titled Getting the Deal Through. Then, it addresses potential challenges to …

Taking A Bite Out Of Michael Vick's Publicity Rights: An Analysis Of How Teh Right Of Publicity Should Be Treated After A Celebrity Is Convicted Of A Crime, Stephen Reginald Fowler

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

The Thrill Of Victory, And The Agony Of The Tweet: Online Social Media, The Non-Copyrightability Of Events, And How To Avoid A Looming Crisis By Changing Norms, Jason Richard Sheppard

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

A New Test To Reconcile The Right Of Publicity With Core First Amendment Values, Mark Joseph Stern, Nat Stern

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

"Hasta La Vista, Funny Guys": Arnold Schwarzenegger's Fictional Voice Misappropriation Lawsuit Against Comedians Imitating His Voice And The Case For A Federal Right Of Publicity Statute, Blair Joseph Cash

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

The Right-Of-Publicity Challenges For Tattoo Copyrights, Yolanda M. King

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

By Any Other Name: Image Advertising And The Commercial Speech Doctrine In Jordan V. Jewel, Kelly Miller

Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review

This Comment focuses on the commercial speech doctrine as applied to modern advertising strategies, specifically, corporate image advertising. It centers on the recent litigation between basketball superstar Michael Jordan and a Chicago-area grocery chain, Jewel-Osco. When Michael Jordan was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Jewel-Osco was invited to submit a congratulatory ad for a commemorative issue of Sports Illustrated devoted exclusively to Jordan’s career and accomplishments. Because Jordan had spent the bulk of his storied professional basketball career with the Chicago Bulls, the ad seemed a natural fit. Jordan, who did not give permission for his name to …

O’Bannon V. National Collegiate Athletic Association: Why The Ninth Circuit Should Not Block The Floodgates Of Change In College Athletics, Christopher Sagers, Michael A. Carrier

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

In O’Bannon v. National Collegiate Athletic Ass’n, then-Chief Judge Claudia Wilken of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a groundbreaking decision, potentially opening the floodgates for challenges to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) amateurism rules. The NCAA was finally put to a full evidentiary demonstration of its amateurism defense, and its proof was found emphatically wanting. We agree with Professor Edelman that O’Bannon could bring about significant changes, but only if the Ninth Circuit affirms. We write mainly to address the NCAA’s vigorous pending appeal and the views of certain amici, and to explain our …

Fumbling The First Amendment: The Right Of Publicity Goes 2-0 Against Freedom Of Expression, Thomas E. Kadri

Michigan Law Review

Two circuits in one summer found in favor of college athletes in right-of-publicity suits filed against the makers of the NCAA Football videogame. Both panels split 2–1; both applied the transformative use test; both dissenters predicted chilling consequences. By insisting that the likeness of each player be “transformed,” the Third and Ninth Circuits employed a test that imperils the use of realistic depictions of public figures in expressive works. This standard could have frosty implications for artists in a range of media: docudramas, biographies, and works of historical fiction may be at risk. This Comment examines the tension between the …

The Apocalyptic Presidential Right Of Publicity, Michael G. Bennett

Michael G. Bennett

The Apocalyptic Presidential Right of Publicity

Michael G Bennett Associate Professor Northeastern School of Law

Abstract

This article critically examines publicity rights doctrine as applied to celebrity political figures. It is particularly concerned with the prominence of science fictional concepts, theoretical frameworks and tropes in cases that mark the extreme scope of the doctrine and in the scholarship that aims to render case law rationally meaningful. And it situates President Obama and the difficult doctrinal issues his candidacy and subsequent election highlighted at the center of its analysis.

Part one of the article briefly describes the right of publicity and …

The Right Of Publicity: "You Can't Take It With You", Timothy C. Williams

Pepperdine Law Review

The "right of publicity," a progeny of the right to privacy, has evolved into a valuable property right of the rich and famous. However, indecisive courts and disinterested legislatures have failed to arrive at any consensus on whether the "right of publicity" should be descendible and inheritable upon its owner's death. This comment seeks to evaluate the sundry arguments and policies concerning this issue, and to advocate a freely descendible 'right of publicity."

A Descendible Right Of Publicity: Has The Time Finally Come For A National Standard?, J. Steven Bingman

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

"It's A Little Known Fact" That Copyright Law Is In Conflict With The Right Of Publicity, Madeline O'Connor

Touro Law Review

This Comment will analyze Section 102 of the Copyright Act,the right of publicity in common law and as codified in state statutes,and Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act, and the analyses and applicationof these laws by different circuits. Further, this Comment willsuggest alternative tests, modeled upon trademark law, that courtsmay use in the future in similar situations to reach more equitable determinations.

The Right Of Publicity In New York And California: A Critical Analysis, Paul Czarnota

Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal

The article provides an analysis of the right of publicity under the state laws of New York and California as of September 2012, focusing on the application of the laws to celebrities and the illegal use of their identities in advertising and trade. The New York right to publicity tort laws reportedly protect a celebrity's name, portrait, and voice from unauthorized use by third parties. The New York case Roberson v. Rochester Folding Box Co. is also mentioned.

It's My Name And My Name Alone: How Chad Ocho Cinco Affects The Right Of Publicity, Jessica K. Baranko

Marquette Sports Law Review

No abstract provided.

Million Dollar Baby: Celebrity Baby Pictures And The Right Of Publicity , Natalie Grano

Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

From Parts Unknown: Wwe V. Jim Hellwig In The Ultimate Battle For Character Copyright, Daniel Bilsky

Marquette Sports Law Review

No abstract provided.

J.J. Morrison And His Right Of Publicity Lawsuit Against The Ncaa, Sean Hanlon, Ray Yasser

Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Lose The Illusion: Why Advertisers' Use Of Digital Product Placement Violates Actors' Right Of Publicity, Brandon D. Almond

Washington and Lee Law Review

No abstract provided.

Muhammad Ali: The Greatest In Court, Andres F. Quintana

Marquette Sports Law Review

No abstract provided.

Extreme Makeover: Redefining Athletes' Identities In A Fantasy World, Robert T. Ferguson Jr.

Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal

No abstract provided.

All The World's Not A Stooge: The Transformativeness Test For Analyzing A First Amendment Defense To A Right Of Publicity Claim Against Distribution Of A Work Of Art, Jay Dougherty

Jay Dougherty

This article is a thorough review of First Amendment law in relation to the right of publicity. It criticizes the so-called "transformativeness test" developed in California as a mechanism to balance rights of publicity and freedom of speech and expression.

Stop The Presses! First Amendment Limitations Of Professional Athletes' Publicity Rights , Erika T. Olander

Marquette Sports Law Review

No abstract provided.

No Room For Cheers: Schizophrenic Application In The Realm Of Right Of Publicity Protection, Jennifer Y. Choi

Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal

No abstract provided.