NY State Senate Bill 2009-S5066

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Codes Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2010	referred to codes
Apr 27, 2009	referred to codes

2009-S5066 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Codes
Law Section:: Civil Rights Law
Laws Affected:: Add §50-f, Civ Rts L
Versions Introduced in 2011-2012 Legislative Session:: S2999

2009-S5066 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides for the right to privacy and publicity for deceased persons.

2009-S5066 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S5066               REVISED 05/05/09

 TITLE OF BILL :
An act amended the civil rights law, in relation to prohibiting the
use of the name, portrait and/or picture of a deceased personality


 PURPOSE :
This legislation would provide a right to privacy and publicity for
deceased persons.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :
Section 1 amends the civil rights law by adding a new section
prohibiting the use of a persona of any deceased personality for
advertising purposes without the written consent of the person or
persons who have a registered claim. Section 1 also provides
definitions and stipulates that nothing in this section prohibits the
of use of a deceased personality's persona that occurs after the
expiration of twenty-five years following the death of that deceased
personality.
Section 2 states that if any portion of this act is rendered invalid
by a court, such judgment will not invalidate the remainder of the
act, but will be confined to the clause involved in the controversy.
Section 3 establishes the effective date as the first of January
succeeding the date on which it becomes law.

 JUSTIFICATION :
This legislation, in upholding New York State's long standing
protection of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution,
is carefully tailored to protect the rights of copyright holders of
photographic images of living and deceased celebrities, artists, print
publishers, and celebrities who die after the effective date of this
act. In adhering to the tenets of the State's Constitution and the Due
Process Clause of the United States Constitution, this legislation
will provide the family members/legatee's of deceased celebrities, who
die subsequent to the effective date, certain rights to control the
use of the decedent's name, likeness and image by requiring written
consent of those who have registered their claim of rights to that
persona. This legislation continues to protect the right of the
artist/photographer, and their assigns, to exhibit and sell multiple
editions of prints and delineates certain uses of a celebrity's image
which are beneficial to the public, but are not intended to use the
celebrity's image solely for advertising purposes.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
New legislation.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law.

2009-S5066 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  5066

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             April 27, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. SCHNEIDERMAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and
  when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes

AN ACT amended the civil rights law, in relation to prohibiting the  use
  of the name, portrait and/or picture of a deceased personality

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. The civil rights law is amended by  adding  a  new  section
50-f to read as follows:
  S  50-F.  USE OF THE PERSONA OF A DECEASED PERSONALITY PROHIBITED.  1.
NO PERSON, FIRM OR CORPORATION SHALL USE FOR ADVERTISING PURPOSES OR FOR
THE PURPOSES OF TRADE, THE PERSONA OF ANY DECEASED  PERSONALITY  WITHOUT
HAVING FIRST OBTAINED THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE PERSON OR PERSONS IDEN-
TIFIED  IN  SUBDIVISION  TEN  OF  THIS SECTION WHO HAVE REGISTERED THEIR
CLAIM OF RIGHTS PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWELVE OF  THIS  SECTION  UNLESS
OTHERWISE PROVIDED HEREIN.
  2. AS USED IN THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOW-
ING MEANINGS:
  (A)  "PERSONA"  MEANS THE NAME, INCLUDING LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL NAME,
PORTRAIT AND/OR PICTURE OF A NATURAL PERSON.
  (B) "DECEASED PERSONALITY" MEANS ANY NATURAL PERSON WHOSE PERSONA  HAD
COMMERCIAL  VALUE  PRIOR TO HIS OR HER DEATH, AND WHO DIED A DOMICILIARY
OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK ON OR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
  3. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE READ AS PROHIBITING THE USE  OF  A
DECEASED PERSONALITY'S PERSONA THAT OCCURS AFTER THE EXPIRATION OF TWEN-
TY-FIVE  YEARS  FOLLOWING  THE  DEATH  OF THAT DECEASED PERSONALITY. NOR
SHALL ANYTHING IN THIS SECTION BE READ AS CREATING LIABILITY  OR  GIVING
RISE  TO  ANY  REMEDY  FOR ANY ACTIONS OR CONDUCT INVOLVING THE USE OF A
DECEASED PERSONALITY'S PERSONA THAT COMMENCED BEFORE EITHER  THE  EFFEC-
TIVE  DATE  OF  THIS  SECTION OR THE POSTING OF THE REGISTRY PURSUANT TO
SUBDIVISION TWELVE OF THIS SECTION.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD11639-01-9

S. 5066                             2

  4. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY CONTRARY PROVISION OF THIS SECTION, THE CREATOR
OR AUTHOR OF A PORTRAIT OR PICTURE (INCLUDING A PHOTOGRAPH OR AN  AUDIO-
VISUAL  IMAGE),  OF  A DECEASED PERSONALITY THAT IS THE PROPERTY OF SUCH
CREATOR OR AUTHOR OR THE SUCCESSOR  IN  INTEREST  THERETO  SHALL  RETAIN
INVIOLATE  ALL  RIGHTS  AND  TITLE,  HOWEVER  HELD,  TO THAT PORTRAIT OR
PICTURE, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO LICENSE, SUBLICENSE,  ASSIGN,  TRANSFER,
SELL,  OR  OTHERWISE  DISPOSE  OF  SUCH  RIGHTS AND TITLE, AND ANY OTHER
RIGHT, POWER OR INTEREST WHICH SUCH CREATOR OR AUTHOR  OR  SUCCESSOR  IN
INTEREST  POSSESSED  PRIOR  TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, AND A
THIRD-PARTY ENTITY MAY ENTER INTO AN  AGREEMENT  WITH  SUCH  CREATOR  OR
AUTHOR  OR  SUCCESSOR  IN  INTEREST  FOR  LICENSURE  OF  THE USE OF SUCH
PORTRAIT OR PICTURE, OR TO RECEIVE BY ASSIGNMENT, TRANSFER, OR SALE  THE
RIGHTS  AND  TITLE  TO SUCH PORTRAIT OR PICTURE TO THE SAME EXTENT WHICH
SUCH THIRD-PARTY ENTITY POSSESSED OR WOULD HAVE POSSESSED PRIOR  TO  THE
EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF  THIS SECTION. THE CREATOR OR AUTHOR OR SUCCESSOR IN
INTEREST SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY UNDER THIS SECTION FOR  THE  USE  OF  A
DECEASED PERSONALITY'S PERSONA BY ANY SUCH THIRD-PARTY ENTITY OR FOR ANY
SUCH  THIRD-PARTY ENTITY'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN ANY PERMISSION FOR SUCH USE
REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED  TO
REQUIRE  THE  CREATOR,  AUTHOR,  SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST OR THIRD-PARTY TO
OBTAIN PERMISSION TO UTILIZE SUCH PICTURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS FOR ADVERTIS-
ING PURPOSES, OR FOR THE PURPOSES OF TRADE FROM  PERSONS  IDENTIFIED  IN
SUBDIVISION  TWELVE OF THIS SECTION FOR ANY OF THE FOLLOWING: USE ON ANY
PAPER PRODUCTS, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION CALENDARS, POSTERS,  GREET-
ING  CARDS,  NAPKINS, AND OTHER SIMILAR PRODUCTS; USE OF THE PORTRAIT OR
PICTURE ON NOVELTY AND SOUVENIR PRODUCTS; USE ON TOTE BAGS  OR  APPAREL,
OR  WHERE  THE USE OF THE IMAGE CONSTITUTES A CONSTITUTIONALLY-PROTECTED
EXPRESSION.
  5. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, A PLAY, BOOK, STORY,  ARTICLE,  MAGA-
ZINE,  NEWSPAPER,  NEWSLETTER,  OTHER PERIODICAL, GRAPHIC NOVEL, MUSICAL
COMPOSITION, SOUND RECORDING, DOCUMENTARY, MOTION PICTURE OR  TELEVISION
PROGRAM OR OTHER AUDIOVISUAL WORK, RADIO OR OTHER AUDIO PROGRAM, WORK OF
ART  (INCLUDING  WITHOUT  LIMITATION PHOTOGRAPHS AND ILLUSTRATIONS), ART
REPRODUCTION OR OTHER WORK DERIVED FROM  SUCH  WORK  OF  ART,  CALENDAR,
GAME,  WORK OF POLITICAL OR NEWSWORTHY VALUE, INFORMATIONAL WORK, OR ANY
OTHER EDITORIAL, ARTISTIC OR OTHER EXPRESSIVE WORK, REGARDLESS OF LENGTH
OR FORMAT, OR ANY ADVERTISEMENT, PROMOTION  OR  COMMERCIAL  ANNOUNCEMENT
FOR  ANY  SUCH  WORK,  IN ALL CASES IN ANY MEDIUM NOW KNOWN OR HEREAFTER
DEVISED, SHALL NOT BE CONSIDERED TO HAVE USED A  DECEASED  PERSONALITY'S
PERSONA  FOR  ADVERTISING PURPOSES OR FOR THE PURPOSES OF TRADE, SO LONG
AS SUCH WORK IS NOT BEING USED AS A PURELY COMMERCIAL  ADVERTISEMENT  OR
ENDORSEMENT.  LIKEWISE,  THIS  SECTION  SHALL  NOT PROHIBIT THE USE OF A
DECEASED  PERSONALITY'S  PERSONA  IN  ANY  ADVERTISEMENT,  PROMOTION  OR
COMMERCIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOR AN AGGREGATOR OF THE CONTENT SPECIFIED ABOVE
WHEN THAT ADVERTISEMENT, PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL OR COMMERCIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
ACCURATELY  DEPICTS  ALL  OR  PART  OF  THE  CONTENT  AVAILABLE  TO  THE
AGGREGATOR'S CUSTOMERS.
  6. THIS SECTION SHALL NOT PROHIBIT THE USE OF A DECEASED PERSONALITY'S
PERSONA TO ACCURATELY IDENTIFY THAT DECEASED PERSONALITY'S CONTRIBUTIONS
TO A WORK OR A PERFORMANCE, UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES IN  WHICH  THE  WORK  OR
PERFORMANCE IS OTHERWISE LAWFULLY REPRODUCED, EXHIBITED, OR BROADCAST.
  7.  A  DECEASED  PERSONALITY'S  PERSONA  IS  PERSONAL PROPERTY, FREELY
TRANSFERABLE OR DESCENDIBLE, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, BY CONTRACT, BY  MEANS
OF  ANY  TRUST OR TESTAMENTARY INSTRUMENT, PROVIDED SUCH CONTRACT, TRUST
OR TESTAMENTARY INSTRUMENT IS ENTERED INTO OR EXECUTED ON OR  AFTER  THE
EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF  THIS SECTION, BY THE DECEASED PERSONALITY OR BY ANY

S. 5066                             3

SUBSEQUENT OWNER OF THE DECEASED PERSONALITY'S PERSONA AS RECOGNIZED  BY
THIS SECTION.
  8. THE RIGHTS RECOGNIZED UNDER THIS SECTION ARE EXPRESSLY PROSPECTIVE.
SUCH  RIGHTS  MAY BE PASSED OR ASSIGNED PRIOR TO SUCH DECEASED PERSONAL-
ITY'S DEATH BY MEANS OF ANY CONTRACT OR TRUST INSTRUMENT, OR  SET  FORTH
AS  A  SPECIFIC BEQUEST WITHIN A TESTAMENTARY INSTRUMENT OF THE DECEASED
PERSONALITY EFFECTIVE AS OF THE DATE OF HIS OR HER DEATH.
  9. IF NO TRANSFER OF SOME OR ALL OF THE RIGHTS RECOGNIZED  UNDER  THIS
SECTION  HAS  OCCURRED  IN  ACCORDANCE  WITH  SUBDIVISION  EIGHT OF THIS
SECTION, THEN SUCH RIGHTS SHALL BE DEEMED TO HAVE PASSED  IN  ACCORDANCE
WITH  SECTION  4-1.1  OF  THE  ESTATES, POWERS AND TRUSTS LAW; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, THAT IF THERE ARE NO SURVIVING NATURAL  PERSONS  TO  WHOM  SAID
RIGHTS PASS BY INTESTATE SUCCESSION, THEN SAID RIGHTS SHALL TERMINATE.
  10.  THE WRITTEN CONSENT REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION SHALL BE EXERCISABLE
BY THE PERSON OR PERSONS WHO COLLECTIVELY OWN MORE THAN FIFTY PERCENT OF
THE RIGHTS IN THE DECEASED  PERSONALITY'S  PERSONA  IN  ACCORDANCE  WITH
SUBDIVISION  EIGHT OR NINE OF THIS SECTION AND WHO HAVE REGISTERED THEIR
CLAIM OF RIGHTS PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWELVE OF THIS SECTION. RELIANCE
UPON SUCH WRITTEN CONSENT PROVIDED BY THOSE WHO HAVE REGISTERED A  CLAIM
OF  RIGHTS  UNDER SUBDIVISION TWELVE OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE A COMPLETE
DEFENSE IN ANY ACTION BROUGHT UNDER THIS SECTION.
  11. THE REMEDIES FOR ANY VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE LIMITED TO
THOSE SPECIFIED IN SECTION FIFTY-ONE OF THIS ARTICLE, AND THE EXCEPTIONS
TO LIABILITY SPECIFIED IN SECTION FIFTY-ONE OF THIS ARTICLE SHALL  LIKE-
WISE BE APPLICABLE TO ANY ASSERTED VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION.
  12.  NO  SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO THE RIGHTS OF A DECEASED PERSONALITY
UNDER THIS SECTION OR A LICENSEE THEREOF MAY FILE A CLAIM  OR  SEEK  ANY
REMEDY  WHATSOEVER  FOR  A USE PROHIBITED BY THIS SECTION THAT COMMENCED
BEFORE EITHER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION OR BEFORE THE SUCCESSOR
IN INTEREST OR LICENSEE REGISTERS A  CLAIM  OF  THE  RIGHTS  UNDER  THIS
SUBDIVISION  AND  THE  SECRETARY  OF STATE POSTS THE REGISTRY UNDER THIS
SUBDIVISION. ANY PERSON OR PERSONS CLAIMING TO BE A SUCCESSOR IN  INTER-
EST  UNDER  THIS  SECTION  MUST  OWN OR COLLECTIVELY OWN MORE THAN FIFTY
PERCENT OF THE RIGHTS IN THE DECEASED PERSONALITY'S PERSONA  IN  ACCORD-
ANCE  WITH SUBDIVISION SEVEN, EIGHT OR NINE OF THIS SECTION, OR A LICEN-
SEE THEREOF, AND MUST FIRST REGISTER WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE DEATH OF THE
DECEASED PERSONALITY A VERIFIED CLAIM WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE
STATE OF NEW YORK ON A FORM PRESCRIBED BY SUCH  SECRETARY,  WHICH  SHALL
INCLUDE  THE  NAME  AND  DATE  OF DEATH OF THE DECEASED PERSONALITY, THE
NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF THE CLAIMANTS, THE BASIS OF THE  CLAIM,  AND  THE
RIGHTS  CLAIMED. AS SOON AS SHALL BE PRACTICABLE, THE SECRETARY OF STATE
SHALL CREATE A SYSTEM WHICH ALLOWS, UPON RECEIPT AND AFTER FILING OF ANY
DOCUMENT UNDER THIS SECTION, SUCH SECRETARY TO POST THE  DOCUMENT  ALONG
WITH THE ENTIRE REGISTRY OF PERSONS CLAIMING TO BE A SUCCESSOR IN INTER-
EST  TO  THE  RIGHTS  OF A DECEASED PERSONALITY OR A REGISTERED LICENSEE
UNDER THIS SECTION UPON THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE WEBSITE,  PROVIDED  THAT
INSTEAD  OF  THE  NAME  AND  ADDRESS  OF  THE CLAIMANT, THE CLAIMANT MAY
REQUEST THAT THE CONTACT LISTED ON THE WEBSITE BE THE DESIGNATED  REPRE-
SENTATIVE  OR  AGENT.  CLAIMS REGISTERED UNDER THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE
PUBLIC RECORDS. THE COST FOR FILING SHALL BE ONE  HUNDRED  DOLLARS.  THE
SECRETARY  OF  STATE  SHALL  PROMULGATE REGULATIONS FOR CARRYING OUT THE
PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
  13. ANY ACTION TO ENFORCE THIS SECTION SHALL BE  SUBJECT  TO  THE  ONE
YEAR  LIMITATION  PERIOD  SET  FORTH IN SUBDIVISION THREE OF SECTION TWO
HUNDRED FIFTEEN OF THE CIVIL PRACTICE LAW AND RULES.

S. 5066                             4

  S 2. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part of  this  act
shall  be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid,
such judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder ther-
eof, but shall be confined in its operation  to  the  clause,  sentence,
paragraph,  section or part thereof directly involved in the controversy
in which such judgment shall have been rendered.
  S 3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law.

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Senate Bill S5066

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Codes Committee

2009-S5066 (ACTIVE) - Details

2009-S5066 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2009-S5066 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2009-S5066 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S5066

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Sponsored By

Eric T. Schneiderman

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Codes Committee

2009-S5066 (ACTIVE) - Details

2009-S5066 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2009-S5066 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2009-S5066 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments