Intellectual Property Law

Plaintiffs File Right of Publicity Class Action Suit Against Corbis

By Michael Atkins

Corbis Web site with licensable images of plaintiff Bonnie Pointer

On Aug. 5, plaintiffs Anna Maria Alberghetti, Bonnie Pointer, and Judy Tenuta filed a class action lawsuit in the Central District of California against Seattle-based Corbis Corporation for allegedly making their images available for commercial purposes without their consent. The celebrity performers allege the image-licensing company violated their common law and statutory rights of publicity in doing so.

Plaintiffs define the putative class in pertinent part as: “All California residents whose names, images, or likenesses have been exploited by Corbis, without their permission, during the applicable statute of limitations time period through Corbis’ sale of purported licenses to use said names, images, or likenesses to consumers via that Company’s websites, including www.corbis.com, www.corbismotion.com, or www.corbisoutline.com. Also included in the Class are all non-residents of California who are United States citizens and whose names, images, or likenesses have been exploited by Corbis in the same manner as described in the preceding sentence, but only to the extent that such exploitation occurred through sales of purported licenses to California residents.”

Corbis has not yet answered.

The case cite is Alberghetti v. Corbis Corporation, No. 09-5735 (C.D. Calif.).

Full post as published by Seattle Trademark Lawyer on August 27, 2009 (boomark / email).