Legal Question in Securities Law in California

video laws

is it illegal to post a video of someone on the internet without their permission?


Asked on 6/11/07, 6:51 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Bryan Whipple Bryan R. R. Whipple, Attorney at Law

Re: video laws

Securities law has to do with stocks and bonds and investments, not invasion of privacy. You will get more and better answers if you re-ask your question under a more appropriate LawGuru category, probably "Tort Law" or "Computer Law."

As a non-expert in this field, I'd say posting a video of someone without their permission could be anywhere from harmless and legal to an unfair and actionable privacy invasion, depending on the surrounding facts and the intent with which the video was posted. The relative fame or newsworthiness of the person depicted is also a factor.

If the person is newsworthy, or the scenes are not demeaning or embarrassing, I'd say there is no basis for a suit. If the person is a non-famous "private" person and the video is embarrassing or exploits the subject for commercial gain, more likely than not the affected person could sue for damages and an injunction against further display.

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Answered on 6/11/07, 7:53 pm


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