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A question for the lawyers: If I build a model of a celebrity, do they have copyright on that? Could I sell it?
by michaelbuckbee 9y ago
A question for the lawyers: If I build a model of a celebrity, do they have copyright on that? Could I sell it?
- berberous 9y agoDepends on the jurisdiction. The term of art is generally 'right of publicity', not copyright. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personality_rights https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personality_rights As you might expect, California leads the way in this area in the U.S., given their interest in protecting Hollywood / celebrities.
- gspetr 9y agohttps://www.theverge.com/2018/1/30/16945494/deepfakes-porn-face-swap-legal https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/30/16945494/deepfakes-porn-f... Without any precedents YMMV.
- Someone 9y agoI’m not a lawyer, and don’t know what jurisdiction you are talking about, which celebrity you’re talking about (alive/dead/long dead, where do/did they live), etc, but I think the model copyright will be yours, but you will be restricted as to where you can use it because others have the right to make money with its looks. Law works similar with copies of physical objects. For example, you are free to make a 100% copy of an iPhone, the Mona Lisa or a pop song and enjoy them at home, but you can’t display them in public or sell copies, or even give them away (did I say I’m not a lawyer?)
- some-guy 9y agoIANAL, but Crispin Glover sued the creators of Back to the Future II for using a mold his face as George McFly without permission [1]. While he starred in the first film, the second film used a mold of his face since he ended up not joining the project. [1] https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/back-future-ii-a-legal-833705 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/back-future-ii-a-l...
- rmc 9y agoPlaces like the EU, which have a "constitution" right to personal data protection, will have something to say about this.