Allowed to write about living people if they are "public figures" Jill
jill stockinger
From Jill:
In case you were wondering whether it is legal for me to use the names of George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin in my poem, “LOVE LIVES”—the short answer is that it is totally legal.
Q: Do I need permission to write about somebody, living or dead? A: Permission is technically not required if the subject is/was a public figure.
From a lawyer:
First, a simple rule. If what you write about a person is positive or even neutral, then you don’t have defamation or privacy issues.
For instance, you may thank someone by name in your acknowledgements without their permission. If you are writing a non-fiction book, you may mention real people and real events. However, if what you write about identifiable, living people could be seriously damaging to their reputation, then you need to consider the risks of defamation and privacy and how to minimize those risks. I am not talking about portraying your mother-in-law as a bossy queen bee; I am talking about portraying your mother-in-law as a drug dealer.
Common sense and a cool head are key.
First, let’s start with a quick summary of United States law. (The laws of other countries are more favorable to the targets. In today’s Internet environment, you could get sued in France for a blog written in California.)
Defamation
To prove defamation, whether libel for
written statements or slander for
spoken ones, a plaintiff (target) must prove all of the following:
False Statement of Fact.
If a statement is true, then it is not defamatory no matter how offensive or embarrassing. Opinions are also protected because they are not “facts.” Couching something as an opinion is not bullet-proof if it is defamatory. Courts see no difference between “Joe is a pedophile” and “In my opinion, Joe is a pedophile.” The more specific a statement, the more likely it will be seen as a statement of fact. Parody is not defamatory if the absurdity is so clear no reasonable person would consider the statements to be true.
I believe I used their names in a Laudatory manner, AND they are both considered "public figures." George Clooney is a movie star. Amal Alamuddin is in the news
for her fight for justice in legal cases and on behalf of world organizations trying to improve the world.
Both of them have their photos in articles quite often. Just FYI! Jill
Helen Cooper
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