The Tokyo District Court on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit against U.S. social media giant Meta Platforms and its Japanese unit over fake ads that used a Japanese entrepreneur’s name and likeness without permission.Presiding Judge Naoyuki Iwai dismissed both entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa’s request for an injunction and his claim for damages.While finding that the ads infringed on Maezawa’s publicity rights, which protect the commercial value of celebrities, Iwai said that Meta “is merely a platform operator and is not directly involved in the posts.”
Tokyo court dismisses suit against Meta over fake ads involving celebrity
The ruling is believed to be the first judicial decision on whether fake ads impersonating celebrities infringe on their rights.
In brief
The Tokyo District Court on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit against U.S. social media giant Meta Platforms and its Japanese unit over fake ads that used a Japanese entrepreneur’s name and likeness without permission.Presiding Judge Naoyuki Iwai dismissed both entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa’s request for an injunction and his claim for damages.While finding that the ads infringed on Maezawa’s publicity rights, which protect the commercial value of celebrities, Iwai said that Meta “is merely a platform operator and is not directly involved in the posts.”
This is the opening of the story, shared with credit to The Japan Times. The rest of the report — with every detail — continues on the publisher’s website.
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