Legal Question in Intellectual Property in California

Unauthorized Personal Image Circulation

Hello,

I had taken a few non-nude but

suggestive shots for an online

''contest'' when I was still a minor.

This was about 4 years ago. The

photos have been saved by unknown

individuals and are now circulating

online. Am I entitled to legal action or

am I helpless in the matter? The

original website that hosted this sort

of contest states the images used in

these contests are copyrighted to

that website exclusively and may not

be reproduced, altered, etc. in any

manner.

Thank you!


Asked on 2/17/08, 4:15 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Gordon Firemark Law Offices of Gordon P. Firemark

Re: Unauthorized Personal Image Circulation

Contact the District Attorney and/or the Attorney General of your state if they're threatening to circulate these photos without your consent.

Also, since you were a minor, any releases you signed at the time the pictures were taken are probably VOIDABLE. So, you can essentially withdraw your consent for the use of the photos. STill, you're essentially trying to "un-ring" a bell.

You could sue the individuals who are distributing the pictures, but probably NOT the websites that host them. It'll be a long, hard, expensive lawsuit.

Read more
Answered on 2/22/08, 3:24 pm


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