Monday 1 September 2014

Copyright in actor?

The Evening Standard, organ of the Russian opposition, reports that theatre goers have been ordered (by whom it doesn't say) to delete photos of actor Martin Freeman playing Richard III. They are being told that doing so breaches theatre etiquette (quite right) and copyright. Presumably the allegation is of an infringement of copyright - but in what? Idiots who fore off accusations like deserve to be required to cite the law on which they rely rather than trust to urban myth. It brings copyright, and the law in general, into disrepute. 

1 comment:

Bob Cumbow said...

It's possible that the requests (demands) were properly legally supported, but the news reporting got it wrong. Indeed, it is more common than not for news reporters to use the term "copyright" when trademark, right of publicity, or some form of unfair competition law is what really applies. Here, though, I can't think of anything that would apply except having taken a photo in violation of the contract of adhesion accompanying one's admission to the theatre.

 

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