• FaceDeer
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    910 months ago

    it seems like the examples they mention in the article; - parody, public figures, film rights, etc. - are already pretty well carved out in the courts.

    I can’t just make a biopic about Michael Jackson

    Is Michael Jackson not a public figure?

    • @gedaliyah
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      310 months ago

      There is such a thing as life rights. According to this firm, they act as a protection against lawsuits related to publicity rights, invasion of privacy, and defamation.

      So, a documentarian could report on the public aspects of Michael Jackson’s life, but if I wanted to discuss or speculate about his private life, I would need rights from his estate.

      There are lots of exceptions, such as public interest, etc. But again, I’m not a lawyer. (Is there a legal lemmy presence?)

      • @LibreFish
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        410 months ago

        Not a lawyer, but AFAIK life rights looks like some sort of name they applied to whatever waiver/contract they made.

        As long as you’re not making up lies knowingly, you can legally discuss and speculate any details of anybody’s life here in the US.