Professor Rothman is a leading expert in both intellectual property law and the right of publicity. Her new book “The Right of Publicity: Privacy Reimagined for a Public World” delves into the right of publicity which protects individuals’ identities from being used without his or her permission. In their conversation, Rothman tells host Robert Scheer that the right of publicity is important to help the average person combat the invasion of privacy on the internet, but it can also be used by public figures to shut down speech. She says the right to publicity came about at around the time when cameras were developed and people’s likenesses could be captured and used without their permission. And Rothman says the idea of “opting in” where a person must give explicit consent to share their identity and information, is crucial to preserving privacy.
Photo credit: Mario Diaz
KCRW
