Opinion: In today’s pages: Dead celebrities and dying art collections
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The editorial board praises state legislators on their approach to healthcare, pollution, and the rights of celebrities:
Dying isn’t so good for one’s work ethic, but it doesn’t stop the work from continuing to earn money. Copyrights last for 70 years after the death of the author, composer or artist. Patent royalties can be collected for up to 20 years, with or without the inventor’s presence on Earth. And in California, individuals control the rights to their names, likenesses and voices for 70 years beyond their interment.Courts originally recognized the latter, known as the right of publicity, as an extension of the right to privacy. The name and image of a celebrity had value, and that person deserved the chance to capitalize on it exclusively. That approach made sense, as long as the rights didn’t trump free speech.
Columnist Jonah Goldberg notices that despite all the second anniversary Katrina remembrances in the media, no one mentioned all the media mess-ups during the disaster. CultureGrrl blogger Lee Rosenbaum explains why public art collections are dwindling. And Times blogger Peter Viles demonstrates how real estate bloggers and the anti-bailout opinions they express are ignored by politicians.
Readers react to the Los Angeles school board’s decision to siphon kids’ lunch funds to pay for healthcare for part-time cafeteria workers. School Board member Tamar Galatzan isn’t a fan of the idea: ‘While it’s a national tragedy that millions of Americans do not have health insurance, this is no way to address the problem.’