What are Image Rights?

Image rights are the rights over one's persona. There are a variety of names used for this area of law including: persona protection, the right of publicity and the tort of appropriation of personality. Passing off can also be used to protect image rights. Unlike copyright, image rights protect an individual from being used in a commercial setting such as an advertisement, without permission.

Image rights are most relevant to people in the spotlight such as celebrities, influencers, and athletes. They are also relevant to brands who pay for exclusive endorsements as the value of the deal would be undermined if other parties use the endorser's image without permission.

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