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Posted on 11/18/2025 6:18:36 PM PST by simpson96
Guests have frequented an Audrey Hepburn-themed restaurant chain in the eastern city of Suzhou since 2014. Now, Hepburn’s son has won a lawsuit against the restaurant for its unauthorized use of his mother’s likeness.
On Friday, a Suzhou court publicly released its decision affirming a lower court ruling in favor of Luca Dotti, one of two sons of late British actress Audrey Hepburn, in a rare move by a Chinese court recognizing the personality rights of deceased celebrities and their families.
Operating under the name “Angel’s Hepburn Time Restaurant,” the business featured Hepburn’s face and name on its signage, website, and promotional materials. The court ordered the restaurant to cease use of Hepburn’s image, full name, issue a public apology, and pay 200,000 yuan ($27,600) in compensation. As of publication, the chain continues to use the actress’s name in its listings on Dazhong Dianping, a Chinese app similar to Yelp.
Dotti had initially sought 1 million yuan in damages and 118,000 yuan in legal costs, arguing that the restaurant’s actions harmed his mother’s dignity and his rights as her heir.
During the trial, the restaurant ceased using Hepburn’s portrait, but left “Hepburn” in its name. It argued that personality rights expire at death, and that Dotti lacked standing to sue. The restaurant also claimed that its use of the name was not defamatory and that the voluntary cessation of Hepburn’s image should shield it from liability.
The court disagreed, holding that a person’s name and likeness remain protected after death and that economic benefits tied to those rights may be inherited by close relatives. Long-term use of “Hepburn” on signage and branding thus constituted infringement.
The judgment underscores a broader legal principle: for well-known public figures, the commercial value of their names and images does not vanish with death. The court framed the case as a “representative case” in protecting posthumous personality rights.
The ruling drew attention on Chinese social media, where many applauded the ruling and saw it as a landmark case in strengthening rights protection. In one popular comment online, a netizen remarked, “This shop has been around for many years, and it is not cheap. An apology, plus 200,000 yuan? Hilarious.” Another wrote, “It’s too little compensation.”
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Reminds me of Hedy Lamarr suing Mel Brooks for using her name in Blazing Saddles.
LOVE Audrey. ♥️ I understand the ruling, but kind of bittersweet as it doesn’t seem like the restaurant’s intent was to exploit in any way... More like pay homage?
That’s Hedley.
That was a ripoff of “Steamboat Itchy”
Never heard of “Steamboat Itchy” and just watched a few of Itchy’s cartoons.
You’re right - Mickey is a ripoff.
And Itchy has no humor, just senseless violence. Pretty wild!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-BgOC39NM8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r59muwrBa3M (1919)
You don’t hear Hitler kicking about Indians using his name to sell ice cream.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3097640/The-Luft-wafer-Ice-cream-cone-named-Adolf-Hitler-sale-India-sparks-anger-Germany.html
The Germans are fuehurious though.
“ Should’ve went with the Mickey Mouse theme... “
Don’t you mean “should of went with…”?
Makes a lot more sense than Paul Newman's image on salad dressings.
The Hepburn Children’s Fund (official foundation of the family) is California based. The law pushed by attorney Bela Lugosi, Jr. protects the Hepburn children. Lugosi was instrumental in helping advance personality rights for deceased stars when he protected his late father’s Dracula rights.
California Civil Code section 3344.1 was violated here by the restaurant in China because Hepburn’s charity (based in California) is legally granted the right to protect her name.
When I was in law school, in Columbia, Missouri, I sometimes went to a hot dog restaurant called “Famous Freddy’s”. It is closed now, but the theme of the restaurant was famous people (real and fictitious) named Fred. Pictures inside the restaurant included Fred McMurray, Fred Flintstone, Fred G. Sanford, Fred Rogers, Fred Astaire, etc. The $2 onion bricks were amazing.
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