Overexposed?
Just because a woman sleeps with men for money, which are private transactions (or should be), has a MySpace page with photos and biographical information, and did a video with Mysterious, does that give the media the right to poach these items and use them for gain? Truth is, it is a legitimate news story when one of the men she sleeps with is revealed as the governor of New York. And the MySpace page wasn’t set to private. But now she’s upset (or her attorney is) with the unauthorized uses of her likeness.
Her attorney, Don D. Buchwald, said she did not consent to the use of her photos in this manner, and the usage may be a violation of federal copyright laws. He said the photos have appeared on commercial Web sites without her consent.
Buchwald stopped short of saying Dupre would sue media outlets, but he contended that she is not a public figure and said he would take “all steps that we deem necessary or appropriate to protect Ms. Dupre from any unwarranted exploitation of her name, picture, voice or likeness for purposes of profit.”
She’s already made $200,000 from online music downloads, Larry Flynt has offered her a million dollars to pose, and Kick Ass Pictures has offered a million for a movie, among other possible deals.
…does that give the media the right to poach these items and use them for gain?
No, I don’t think so. If pictures are being poached from her website without explicit permission from her, isn’t that illegal? It seems I’m always hearing of publications (online and actual printed) and TV shows being in trouble legally for using photos without the owner’s permission. I just read online the other day that “The O’Reilly Factor” used a picture poached from a personal Flicker photo album without permission (of Jane Hamsher). This kind of thing happens all the time. Perhaps it’s just a matter of whether the person whose photos have been “stolen” can afford a lawyer to follow-up on the incident (w/cease and desist letter, asking for payment or a lawsuit)?
March 15th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
The Post? Seriously, Alan. Isn’t the Post owned by your boss? Just watch Cavuto now and again. How many times has he had porn stars or Hooters girls on his “business show”?
It must be a real hoot to work for Murdock.
March 15th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Well, if you’re an “actress” in a music video…are you still a “private citizen”?
As for the snapshots being poached, Ms. Dupre should turn down the greed-o-meter, and consider the value of the free publicity she’s getting, and maybe hire a publicist, all the while thanking her lucky stars that she isn’t in jail.
March 15th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
i wonder what flynt offered monica
March 16th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Wait for her to become the next big R&B pop star. It worked for Paris Hilton, right?
March 17th, 2008 at 5:48 am
RC~ great point, man!
May 9th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Michael, you’re silly!
May 9th, 2008 at 8:40 pm