International superstar Audrey Hepburn's portrait rights were misused, drawing attention after Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court in China announced a case involving her image rights. Reportedly, beginning in 2014, a restaurant company operated under the name “Angel’s 夏萍时光餐厅 (Xiapin’s Time Restaurant)” without authorization, and extensively used Hepburn’s name and likeness for promotion on its website, physical stores, and social media platforms.
Hepburn’s son, Luca Dotti, argued that this conduct infringed upon his mother’s personal dignity and caused both psychological and economic losses. As a result, he filed a lawsuit seeking cessation of infringement, a public apology, and over 1 million RMB in damages. After deliberation, the Suzhou Industrial Park Court in the first instance ruled that the restaurant company must immediately stop using “柯德莉夏萍 (Audrey Hepburn)” in its name, issue a public apology, and pay 200,000 RMB (about 118,000 MYR) in economic damages. The company appealed, but Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court upheld the original verdict.
The court pointed out that although Hepburn passed away in 1993, her name and likeness remain personality rights of the deceased and are legally protected. The related economic interests can be inherited by close relatives. The restaurant company’s long-term commercial use of her image and name could easily make the public mistakenly believe a specific connection exists between the two parties, thus constituting an infringement.
Hepburn’s son, Luca Dotti, argued that this conduct infringed upon his mother’s personal dignity and caused both psychological and economic losses. As a result, he filed a lawsuit seeking cessation of infringement, a public apology, and over 1 million RMB in damages. After deliberation, the Suzhou Industrial Park Court in the first instance ruled that the restaurant company must immediately stop using “柯德莉夏萍 (Audrey Hepburn)” in its name, issue a public apology, and pay 200,000 RMB (about 118,000 MYR) in economic damages. The company appealed, but Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court upheld the original verdict.
The court pointed out that although Hepburn passed away in 1993, her name and likeness remain personality rights of the deceased and are legally protected. The related economic interests can be inherited by close relatives. The restaurant company’s long-term commercial use of her image and name could easily make the public mistakenly believe a specific connection exists between the two parties, thus constituting an infringement.