Articles From Lindsay H. LaVine | Illinois State Bar Association

Obamas for sale: How much is too much? By Steven L. Baron & Lindsay H. LaVine Intellectual Property, March 2009 Does the Obama family have legal recourse for the use of Malia and Sasha’s identities? The answer is most likely, yes. Most states, including Illinois, protect against the unauthorized use of an individual’s identity for commercial purposes. The so-called right of publicity extends to all people, regardless of whether they are public figures or private citizens.

Musicians’ message to politicians: “Hold On”—Artists fear unauthorized use of songs on campaign trail equals endorsement By Steven L. Baron & Lindsay H. LaVine Intellectual Property, May 2008 “Hold On, I’m Comin.’” “More Than a Feeling.” “Soul Man.” What do these songs have in common, other than upbeat tempos and catchy lyrics? Their songwriters have objected to presidential candidates’ use of their copyrighted material.

“Pull My Finger Fred” gets his day in court By Steven L. Baron & Lindsay H. LaVine Intellectual Property, September 2007 For years to come, Illinois courts will cite the JCW Investments case (or the “farting doll” case, as it is affectionately known) for the proposition that federal law does not preempt state law in the realm of punitive damages. Who would have thought that Pull My Finger Fred would be such a pioneer?

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