§ 6-5-773 — Relation to Free Speech; Fair Use; Resale of Lawfully-Obtained Products; Commencement of Action

Alabama § 6-5-773

• Jurisdiction: Alabama
• Title 6: Civil Practice
• Ch. 5: Actions
• Art. 39: Alabama Right of Publicity Act

Text

(a) Nothing in this article will allow for an abridgement of free speech rights under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and Section 4 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901.
(b) It is a fair use and not a violation of Section 6-5-772 if the use of the indicia of identity is in connection with a news, public affairs, or public interest account, political speech or a political campaign, live or prerecorded broadcast or streaming of a sporting event or photos, clips, or highlights included in broadcasts or streaming of sports news or talk shows, or documentaries, or any advertising or promotion of the same (public interest work), or is part of an artistic or expressive work, such as a live performance, work of art, literary work, theatrical work, musical work, audiovisual work, motion picture, film, television program, radio program or the like (artistic work), or any advertising or promotion of the same, unless the claimant proves, subject to subsection (a), that the use in an artistic work is such a replica as to constitute a copy of the person’s indicia of identity for the purposes of trade.
(c) With respect to advertising and promotion of public interest works and artistic works, except for the advertising or promotion of a public interest work itself as permitted by subsection (b), it shall not be deemed a fair use if the claimant proves that his or her indicia of identity has been directly connected to and affirmatively used in a commercial manner to advertise, promote, or endorse a product, good, or service.
(d) The commercial use of a person’s indicia of identity in a commercial medium does not constitute a violation of Section 6-5-772 if the material containing the commercial use is authorized by the person or the person’s authorized representative or agent for commercial sponsorship or paid advertising.
(e) It is not a fair use and is a violation of Section 6-5-772 if a person’s indicia of identity is used, without such person’s permission, in a manner stating or implying that such person has endorsed or supports a candidate for public office.
(f) Those who lawfully obtain authorized products containing indicia of identity are not liable under this section for their resale of such products.
(g) Any action brought pursuant to this article shall be commenced within two years from the act or omission giving rise to the claim. If the cause of action is not discovered and could not reasonably have been discovered within that time period, then the action may be commenced within six months from the date of such discovery or the date of discovery of facts which would reasonably lead to such discovery, whichever is earlier. In no event may the action be commenced more than four years after the act or omission giving rise to the claim.

Legislative History

(Act 2015-188, §4.)