Category: Audiovisual
Movies and IP: Who has the last word on an audiovisual work?
Producing an audiovisual work is a complex process involving many people and can lead to numerous conflicts. However, Spanish law provides that it is up to the director and producer to decide on how it is ultimately released for public viewing. In the audiovisual industry, it is known as final cut privilege, i.e. the right […]
Deep fakes: the media and the legal system is under threat
The exponential increase in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate audiovisual content is forcing us to re-think the risks involved in the proliferation of deepfakes. The quality of this synthetic content is such that it can generate situations or conversations that never existed, blurring the line between real and make believe, just like […]
A blow to image rights?: the Supreme Court rules on the protection of the personality rights of deceased celebrities
The Supreme Court has again ruled on the protection of the personality rights of deceased celebrities. Analyzed in conjunction with the previous Dalí judgment, this new ruling may introduce some uncertainty as to the post mortem scope of protection of such rights. A judgment by the Supreme Court (Civil Chamber) of June 16, 2022 (see […]
Lights, camera, action: the next audiovisual hub in southern Europe will soon start filming in Catalonia
Spain is implementing a series of initiatives to make the country a focal point of audiovisual production. The projects underway include those launched in Catalonia through ‘Catalunya Media City’ and ‘Parc Audiovisual de Catalunya’. The pandemic has led to the closure of some companies but has also, together with the emergence of platforms and the […]
Compliment or intrusion: Can my image be used (as an accessory) in a news item or documentary?
At a time when videos and images are everywhere, we reflect on the so-called “images as accessories”: shots of anonymous individuals that are used to illustrate news articles or to put together documentaries and non-fiction programs. The consent of the person shown is not required to use these images (often taken from archives) when such […]
Cut! There’s a trademark there
Trademarks displayed in audiovisual works can be a real headache if the associated legal aspects fail to be taken into account. Both Spanish and European trademark laws and case law have shed some light in this regard. However, there are still some grey areas clouding this issue. It is common practice in the audiovisual world […]