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News,  Arts and Leisure

Friday, March 24, 2006

Paul Newman, Others Urge Protection of Images

Westport’s Paul Newman and several other southwest Connecticut actors traveled to Hartford today to lobby lawmakers to help protect their images.

Newman, along with Christopher Plummer of Weston and Charles Grodin of Wilton, appeared before the legislature’s Judiciary Committee to endorse legislation that would limit the ability of others to use technology to create likenesses of them. 

“There’s a kind of cult of piracy that seems to be prevalent,” Newman told the legislators. “This cult of piracy has a new gorilla in the room, which is technology.”

Newman, who was accompanied by two Westport attorneys, said technology makes it possible to make an image appear to be something that really isn’t.

“That means that they can create something that looks like me, that talks like me, that quacks like me, that moves like me, but is not protected because it isn’t me,” the actor said.  “It’s only this technology.”

Newman added, “Now that I think of it, they could do a porno flick.” The crowd burst into laughter.

Plummer said, “We are suddenly cloned into something we’re not. We are robbed of our individuality and our life’s work is tarnished.”

A bill before the legislature’s Judiciary Committee would forbid someone from using another person’s so-called “right of publicity,” such as their name, voice, signature, photograph, image, likeness, distinctive appearance, gestures or mannerisms, for commercial purposes without proper consent.

The legislation would extend that right of publicity during the person’s lifetime or for 70 years after the person’s death.

Stephen E. Nevas, a Westport attorney, told the committee that 14 states have enacted right of publicity statutes. Nevas said there is a presumed right in Connecticut, but legislators have never spelled out the details.

Lawmakers, he said, have also not addressed digitized larceny of people’s images.

Also in attendance was Newman’s longtime Westport attorney, Leo Nevas. 

Comments:     Comment Policy

Wonderful idea to urge legislation and inform the public.  Kudos to the actors and Mr Newman and his excellent attorneys, Mr Nevas and Mr Nevas

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