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About a month ago, I quit a job at a pet store because I was uncomfortable with the level of veterinary care that animals were (not) receiving. A few weeks before I quit, a commercial was filmed at the store, and I am featured in it. I no longer wish to be at all associated with this store, and really would rather not be seen in a commercial promoting it. Is there any possible way I can protest the airing of the commercial with footage of me in it, or do they have complete rights to the footage? (To my knowledge, the commercial has not been shown to anyone outside of the store yet.)
Posts: 1225 | Registered: Feb 2002
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Did you sign anything at the time of filming? Did you make any verbal agreement to be in the commercial, or to be filmed for it?
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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My part in the commercial was consensual at the time, yeah. I knew the commercial was going to be filmed some time that day, but when they were filming it, the camera guy just asked me to hold a ferret by its cage, so I did. I didn't give a verbal agreement, exactly, but I did agree to be part of it. Nothing was signed or specifically agreed on verbally.
Posts: 1225 | Registered: Feb 2002
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You may need to see a lawyer if you feel strongly about it. You have some rights in your own image with respect to publicity - this is why photographers always try to get releases. They're not always necessary, but they sure save a lot of hassle.
The issue here would be did you consent, can you revoke the consent, and do they need your consent. The more purely commercial, the more likely they are to need your consent. But this is a squishy test. (Although some states require written consent - if yours does, you would have an easy time. Don't count on this, though.)
If you choose not to see a lawyer, you'll be negotiating without knowing what your actual rights are. You may be better served approaching the pet store management and telling them you'd prefer not to have to explain to everyone who recognizes you why you left the store, but without legal advice that would be risky.
As long as you're not asking ofr money, just removal, it will be in their best interests to comply. But people don't always act in their best interest.
A nice letter from a lawyer will have the best chance of solving this quickly. The quicker you do it the more likely they are to react positively, and it could affect your legal case if it came to that.
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