Notable Cases

If you think Right of Publicity statutes can be perplexing, wait until you read some of the landmark cases concerning the Right of Publicity. That is not to say that the Right of Publicity as a doctrine does not have discernible standards–it does, and in most cases, application of the Right of Publicity to a given situation can be made with consistent results. But bear in mind, it is an evolving doctrine, and it is a state-based right. As such, case law concerning the Right of Publicity is not as consistent as copyright or trademark, which are derived primarily from Federal law.

The cases below are sortable by plaintiff, date or state. To sort the cases by one of these criteria, click on the title at the top of that column. To download an individual case, click on the name of the plaintiff.