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Parody Defense

Parody Defense (Property · The) — "In defense, defendants cite a number of cases for the proposition that their robot ad constituted protected speech. The only…

Ideas in this flowchart

  • Court’s holding on Samsung’s advertisement, parody argument, and right-of-publicity claims
  • Defendants argue that the robot advertisement constitutes protected speech
  • The cited cases involved noncommercial parodies intended to mock Jerry Falwell and L.L. Bean
  • Samsung’s advertisement is a commercial advertisement intended to sell VCRs
  • The spoof of Vanna White and Wheel of Fortune is subordinate to the message “buy Samsung VCRs”
  • The distinction between parody and knock-off is the distinction between fun and profit
  • Celebrity-exploitation advertising relies on the celebrity’s identity to promote products
  • The more effectively an advertisement evokes a celebrity, the more effective the advertisement becomes
  • Expressive activities such as parody generally receive stronger First Amendment protection
  • Commercial advertising faces a lower First Amendment hurdle in right-of-publicity cases
  • The decision concerns the commercial exploitation of celebrity value, not expressive conduct generally
  • The First Amendment does not bar all right-of-publicity actions
  • A generic game-show hostess would avoid a publicity violation but would make the advertisement less humorous and effective
  • White has pleaded claims that may proceed to the jury; the judgment is affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded
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Parody Defense

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Property

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"In defense, defendants cite a number of cases for the proposition that their robot ad constituted protected speech. The only cases they cite which are even remotely relevant to this case are Hustler Magazine v. Falwell, 485 U.S. 46, 108 S.Ct. 876, 99 L.Ed.2d 41 (1988) and L.L. Bean, Inc. v. Drake Publishers, Inc., 811 F.2d 26 (1st Cir.1987). Those cases involved parodies of advertisements run for the purpose of poking fun at Jerry Falwell and L.L. Bean, respectively. This case involves a true advertisement run for the purpose of selling Samsung VCRs. The ad’s spoof of Vanna White and Wheel of Fortune is subservient and only tangentially related to the ad’s primary message: “buy Samsung VCRs.” Defendants’ parody arguments are better addressed to non-commercial parodies. The difference between a “parody” and a “knock-off” is the difference between fun and profit.\n\nIn warning of a first amendment chill to expressive conduct, the dissent reads this decision too broadly. See Dissent at 1407. This case concerns only the market which exists in our society for the exploitation of celebrity to sell products, and an attempt to take a free ride on a celebrity’s celebrity value. Commercial advertising which relies on celebrity fame is different from other forms of expressive activity in two crucial ways. First, for celebrity exploitation advertising to be effective, the advertisement must evoke the celebrity’s identity. The more effective the evocation, the better the advertisement. If, as Samsung claims, its ad was based on a “generic” game-show hostess and not on Vanna White, the ad would not have violated anyone’s right of publicity, but it would also not have been as humorous or as effective. Second, even if some forms of expressive activity, such as parody, do rely on identity evocation, the first amendment hurdle will bar most right of publicity actions against those activities. Cf. Falwell, 485 U.S. at 46, 108 S.Ct. at 876. In the case of commercial advertising, however, the first amendment hurdle is not so high. Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service Comm’n of New York, 447 U.S. 557, 566, 100 S.Ct. 2343, 2351, 65 L.Ed.2d 341 (1980). Realizing this, Samsung attempts to elevate its ad above the status of garden-variety commercial speech by pointing to the ad’s parody of Vanna White. Samsung’s argument is unavailing. See Board of Trustees, State Univ. of N.Y. v. Fox, 492 U.S. 469, 474-75, 109 S.Ct. 3028, 3031, 106 L.Ed.2d 388 (1988); Bolger v. Youngs Drug Products Corp., 463 U.S. 60, 67-68, 103 S.Ct. 2875, 2880-81, 77 L.Ed.2d 469 (1983). Unless the first amendment bars all right of publicity actions—and it does not, see Zachini v. Scripps-Howard Broadcasting Co., 433 U.S. 562, 97 S.Ct. 2849, 53 L.Ed.2d 965 (1977)—then it does not bar this case.\n\nIn remanding this case, we hold only that White has pleaded claims which can go to the jury for its decision. AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART, and REMANDED."

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