New law in China subjects celebrities to liability for products they endorse
A law has been passed in China following various product liability issues which involved celebrity endorsements of certain products. One example involved advertising for Sanlu Group, the company that was reportedly involved in a milk contamination issue. This new law follows a 2007 law that limited celebrity endorsements in China of nutritional supplements or drug products. These developments remind me of the sweat-shop controversy of years ago, in which the endorsements by Kathie Lee Gifford and Michael Jordan were called into question. Gifford withdrew her endorsements of the products unless or until the company changed its practices to prevent child-labor and sweat shop conditions. Jordan’s response, in contrast, was something along the lines of “not my problem.” It probably comes down to the responsibility or initiative a personality is willing to take for the products he or she endorses. More information: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/03/china-food-safety-celebrity-endorsements.php
http://www.rightofpublicity.com
Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro file suit against watch maker Tutima
Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro, two actors known for avoiding commercial tie-ins, have sued the watch manufacturer Tutima Inc. as well as Overture Films. The advertisements were tied to the film “Righteous Kill” in which Pacino and DeNiro starred. The announcement can be viewed at this link:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090304/people_nm/us_lawsuit
The activities apparently included advertisements as well as a clip of Righteous Kill on Tutima’s website.
http://www.RightOfPublicity.com