As reported in The Hollywood Reporter, the Estate of Marilyn Monroe is being preemptively sued in New York federal court by Virtual Marilyn LLC, a company that produces a “computer-generated virtual actress adopting the persona of Marilyn Monroe.” Virtual Marilyn is seeking a declaratory judgment that its use of the “Virtual Marilyn” character does not constitute unfair competition or infringe any trademarks, copyrights, or rights of publicity belonging to the Estate of Marilyn Monroe. The article provides an interesting overview of the types of intellectual property protection that celebrities and other famous individuals can use to protect and financially exploit their public personas. Read the full article here.

By Trailer screenshot (The Prince and the Showgirl trailer) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Reposted from The Hollywood Reporter.