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Stars come out to protect their images
AP via Philadelphia Daily News ^ | 03/25.06 | AP

Posted on 03/25/2006 4:25:33 PM PST by Fintan

Three familiar faces from Hollywood urged Connecticut legislators yesterday to help protect their images.

Actors Paul Newman, Christopher Plummer and Charles Grodin, all state residents, said they worry that technology has made it possible to access their films, images and voices, and to use that material to produce another product they know nothing about.

"We are suddenly cloned into something we're not," Plummer said. "We are robbed of our individuality, and our life's work is tarnished."

A bill before the legislature's Judiciary Committee would forbid use of another person's "right of publicity," such as their name, voice, signature, photo, image, likeness, distinctive appearance, gestures or mannerisms, for commercial purposes without proper consent.

The legislation would extend that right until 70 years after the person's death.

The Motion Picture Association of America, which represents the major film studios, opposes the bill in its current form. It fears the legislation could infringe on filmmakers' rights of expression and their ability to use old footage in their movies.

Stephen E. Nevas, a Westport attorney, said 19 states have enacted similar laws. There is a presumed right in Connecticut, he said, but legislators have never spelled out the details.

In addition, inexpensive computer technology makes it possible for someone to produce a new movie by reediting the original, Newman told the legislative committee.

"They could make a whole movie that looked like me, talked like me, acted like me, sounded like me, but wasn't me," he said.

Vans Stevenson, the motion picture association's senior vice president for state government affairs, said copyright law already covers some of those concerns. Also, in 1983, the Connecticut Supreme Court determined the state's privacy laws address a person's name or likeness.

The bill could even prevent parody of famous people, he said.

"Our position basically is, common law covers this," Stevenson said.

 



TOPICS: Agriculture
KEYWORDS: booeffinghoo; fustercluck; waaaaaaah; whine

Okay, here's a picture of Charles Grodin. So sue me.


1 posted on 03/25/2006 4:25:36 PM PST by Fintan
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To: Fintan

Would make a funny South Park episode. Where the actors are watching themselves on t.v but it's not them. Oh yeah and Kenny dies.


2 posted on 03/25/2006 4:35:26 PM PST by EmilyGeiger
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To: Fintan

Oh yeah and while on tv, being that it's not really them they could say something nice and patriotic about their country.


3 posted on 03/25/2006 4:36:38 PM PST by EmilyGeiger
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To: EmilyGeiger
Oh yeah and Kenny dies.

Hopefully not this way!

4 posted on 03/25/2006 4:41:28 PM PST by JRios1968 (A DUmmie troll's motto: "Non cogito, ergo zot")
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To: JRios1968

LOL. :)


5 posted on 03/25/2006 4:42:38 PM PST by EmilyGeiger
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To: EmilyGeiger

6 posted on 03/25/2006 4:45:06 PM PST by JRios1968 (A DUmmie troll's motto: "Non cogito, ergo zot")
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To: Fintan
What a bunch of losers. Today's underground and independent filmmakers aren't interested in mainstream Hollywood. If they're going to use voices they can easily use regular people.

I for one wish I had the capital and know-how to use the latest MacIntosh computer system and video camcorder and make me a conservative film straight to DVD and become filthy rich.

7 posted on 03/25/2006 4:46:59 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist (None genuine without my signature)
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To: Fintan

Frankly, I'd love to see all of Chuckie Grodin's movie digitally edited to remove him.


8 posted on 03/25/2006 4:54:49 PM PST by pikachu (Chuck Norris prefers cats to dogs. This is because cats fit better in his George Forman grill.)
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To: pikachu

wow , all these years i thought it was charles scrotum. oh well, learn something new every day. ;^)


9 posted on 03/25/2006 5:00:32 PM PST by pipecorp (Let's have a CRUSADE! , the muslims never stopped. a 2010 useless reply odyssey.)
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To: pikachu
Frankly, I'd love to see all of Chuckie Grodin's movie digitally edited to remove him.

 

Actually, I think we owe Chuckie thanks...he pioneered the failed leftist talk-show format on PMSNBC.

If it weren't for him, Air America & Keith Olbermann wouldn't be tanking as badly.

10 posted on 03/25/2006 5:02:29 PM PST by Fintan (Hey, you can't make this stuff up.)
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To: Fintan

Newman said: "They could make....sounded like me, but wasn't me."

This has surely happened already, Paul.
I mean, well, you have raced cars, and maybe still do. Burning all that fuel, poluting the air; and burning rubber, burning brake pads, which the dust ends up washed into local rivers and streams.

But in certain advertisements, there is this imposter claiming to be you, telling us to preserve the environment.

:-/ sarc


11 posted on 03/25/2006 7:33:08 PM PST by Zuriel (Acts 2:38,39....nearly 2,000 years and still working today!)
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To: Fintan
such as their name, voice, signature, photo, image, likeness, distinctive appearance, gestures or mannerisms, for commercial purposes

So will this end the careers of impersenators then?

12 posted on 03/25/2006 7:44:06 PM PST by yhwhsman ("Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small..." -Sir Winston Churchill)
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To: Fintan
If it was stars that came out to protect their images...why was Charles Grodin there?
13 posted on 03/25/2006 7:50:22 PM PST by Troublemaker
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To: Berosus; Cincinatus' Wife; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Do not dub me shapka broham; ...
The bill could even prevent parody of famous people, he said.
I guess Robert Smigel, Gary Trudeau, and every other cartoonist will be out of business then.
14 posted on 04/01/2006 11:32:15 PM PST by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv

And I guess we won't be seeing any more faked black-and-white footage of Colonel Sanders in KFC commercials.


15 posted on 04/02/2006 11:51:48 AM PDT by Berosus ("There is no beauty like Jerusalem, no wealth like Rome, no depravity like Arabia."--the Talmud)
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To: Berosus

:') Or of his cartoon version, rapping. ;')


16 posted on 04/02/2006 12:35:26 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv; Lady Jag; Prime Choice; Registered
RE: "The bill could even prevent parody of famous people, he said."

"A bill before the legislature's Judiciary Committee would forbid use of another person's "right of publicity," such as their name, voice, signature, photo, image, likeness, distinctive appearance, gestures or mannerisms, for commercial purposes without proper consent."

Fortunately for us, we're not trying to make any money off of this stuff - We're only hoping to help keep the Elitist Liberal Cabal from STEALING the limited property and other resources we already own!


17 posted on 04/02/2006 5:13:25 PM PDT by Seadog Bytes (OPM - The Liberal 'solution' to every societal problem. (...Other People's Money))
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