Ninth Circuit Upholds Reality TV Star’s Right to Sue Face-Swapping App Over Likeness Misuse

The Ninth Circuit Court has maintained its decision, allowing a lawsuit by a reality TV star against a face-swapping app to proceed. This legal battle revolves around allegations that the app misused the star’s likeness. The court determined that the star’s statutory right-of-publicity claim remains valid and is not overruled by the federal Copyright Act, as it touches upon his likeness rather than a “work of authorship.” Such developments underscore the complexity of intellectual property laws when personal likenesses are involved. For further details, the original article is available on Law360.