Facebook the subject of "Right of Publicity" and Unfair Practices Lawsuit In California

Facebook’s practice of showing people that their friends “like” specific products could run afoul of a California law that gives both celebrities and ordinary citizens the right to control how their names and pictures are used for commercial endorsements.

A federal judge in San Jose has rejected Facebook’s bid to dismiss a case that accuses the dominant social network of violating California’s “right of publicity” statute and state unfair trade practices law.

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/abbbde08-299b-11e1-8b1a-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1gyDxYzBD