Lugosi v. Universal Pictures

Supreme Court of California

Decided December 3, 1979
Full case name| Bela George Lugosi, et al., Plaintiffs and Appellants v. Universal Pictures, Defendants and Appellants.
Citation(s)| 603 P.2d 425
Case history
Subsequent history| none
Holding
Personality rights are personal to the holder and must be exercised within the holder's lifetime; they do not descend to the holder's heirs.
Court membership
Chief Justice| Rose Elizabeth Bird
Associate Justices| Matthew Tobriner, Stanley Mosk, William P. Clark, Jr., Wiley Manuel, Frank K. Richardson, Frank C. Newman
Case opinions
Per curiam.
Concurrence| Mosk
Dissent| Bird, joined by Manuel, Tobriner

Superseded by

California Celebrities Rights Act

Lugosi v. Universal Pictures, 603 P.2d 425 (Cal. 1979),[1] was a decision of the Supreme Court of California with regard to the personality rights of celebrities, particularly addressing whether these rights descended to the celebrities' heirs. The suit was brought by the heirs of Béla Lugosi, his son Bela Jr. and his fifth wife Hope Lugosi,[2] who jointly sued Universal Pictures in 1966 for using his personality rights without the heirs' permission on toys, posters, model kits and the like. The trial court initially ruled in favor of the Lugosi heirs, but Universal Studios won the case in an appeal. The court determined that a dead person had no right to their likeness, and any rights that existed did not pass to their heirs.[3]

## History

[edit]

In September 1930, Béla Lugosi and Universal Pictures had entered into an agreement for the production of the film Dracula in which Lugosi played the title role under a signed contract. Hope Linninger Lugosi, his widow, and Bela George Lugosi, his son, filed a complaint against Universal on February 3, 1966, alleging that they were the heirs of Béla Lugosi and that Universal had, commencing in 1960, appropriated and continued to appropriate property which they had inherited from Lugosi and which was not part of the agreement with Universal. The Lugosis asserted that from 1960 until the present time, Universal entered into many licensing agreements which authorized the licensees to use the Count Dracula character.[citation needed]

> [Lugosi heirs] seek to recover the profits made by [Universal Studios] in its licensing of the use of the Count Dracula character to commercial firms and to enjoin [Universal Studios] from making any additional grants, without [their] consent .... The action, therefore, raises the question of whether Béla Lugosi had granted to [Universal] in his contracts with [Universal] merchandising rights in his movie portrayal of Count Dracula, the nature of such rights, and whether any such rights, if retained by Béla Lugosi, descended to the [Lugosi heirs] ....

## Ruling

[edit]

After eleven years of litigation, the trial judge ruled in favor of the Lugosi heirs, awarded them $70,000, and barred Universal Studios from merchandising Lugosi's likeness.[4] The decision was appealed and the California Supreme Court ruled that "the right to exploit one's name and likeness is personal to the artist and must be exercised, if at all, by him during his lifetime." The result was a loss for the concept of inheriting personality rights in California.[3]

## Aftermath

[edit]

The California Celebrities Rights Act of 1986 created an inheritable right to a person's name or likeness for 70 years after death. Legislation passed in 2007 extended that right retroactively to all persons who have died since January 1, 1938.

## See also

[edit]

* Shaw Family Archives Ltd. v. CMG Worldwide, Inc. (2007), a court case involving Marilyn Monroe's posthumous personality rights

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Lugosi v. Universal Pictures (1979) 25 C3d 813". CEB. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
2. ^ Arthur Lennig, The Immortal Count, University Press of Kentucky, 2003 ISBN 978-0-8131-2273-1.
3. ^ a b "Lugosi v. Universal Pictures, 603 P.2d 425 (Cal. 1979)". FindLaw. Retrieved February 14, 2007. "In this decision preceding (and precipitating) the Legislature's enactment of Section 990, the California Supreme Court held that rights of publicity were not descendible in California. Béla Lugosi's heirs, Hope Linninger Lugosi and Bela George Lugosi, sued to enjoin and recover profits from Universal Pictures for licensing Lugosi's name and image on merchandise reprising Lugosi's title role in the 1930 film, "Dracula." The California Supreme Court faced the question whether Béla Lugosi's film contracts with Universal included a grant of merchandising rights in his portrayal of Count Dracula, and the descendibility of any such rights. Adopting the opinion of Justice Roth for the Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, the court held that the right to exploit one's name and likeness is personal to the artist and must be exercised, if at all, by him during his lifetime. Lugosi, 603 P.2d at 431."
4. ^ "Who Can Inherit Fame?". Time. July 7, 1980. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2007. "Ten years later, the son and the widow of Béla Lugosi, star of the Dracula films, tried to take this doctrine a step further. They argued that this right was essentially property and therefore should pass on to heirs. In a California suit, they asked the courts to stop Universal Pictures from merchandising 70 Dracula products, ranging from jigsaw puzzles to belt buckles, and sought compensation based on the profits. Citing the First Amendment, Universal replied that the design of merchandise is a form of free speech that should not be restrained by anyone's heirs. Besides, said Universal's lawyer, Robert Wilson, Lugosi "attained fame and fortune because the company made and distributed the movies he starred in." After eleven years of wrangling, a trial judge decided in favor of the Lugosis, giving them $70,000 and barring Universal from merchandising Lugosi's likeness. ... In December the California Supreme Court reversed the Lugosi decision."

## External links

[edit]

* California Civil Code - Section 3344 - 3344.1 (Astaire Celebrity Image Protection Act)

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Bram Stoker's Dracula

Universe

| Characters|

* Count Dracula
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|

Publications|

* Dracula (1897)
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* "Dracula's Guest" (1914)
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| Dacre Stoker|

* Dracula the Un-dead (2009)
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|

Possible inspirations|

* Castle of Droch-fhola
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Castles|

* Castle Dracula
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Films

| Universal
series|

* Dracula (1931 English-language)
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* Son of Dracula (1943)
* House of Frankenstein (1944)
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* Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

|

Hammer Horror|

* Dracula (1958)
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* The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)
* The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)

Dracula 2000|

* Dracula 2000 (2000)
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Nosferatu films|

* Nosferatu (1922)
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Hotel
Transylvania |

* Hotel Transylvania (2012)
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* Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018)
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Parodies|

* Transylvania 6-5000 (1963)
* Mad Monster Party? (1967)
* Batman Fights Dracula (1967)
* Mad Mad Mad Monsters (1972)
* Blood for Dracula (1974)
* Vampira (1974)
* Son of Dracula (1974)
* Dracula in the Provinces (1975)
* Dracula and Son (1976)
* Dracula Sucks (1979)
* Love at First Bite (1979)
* The Halloween That Almost Wasn't (1979)
* Fracchia contro Dracula (1985)
* Transylvania 6-5000 (1985)
* The Monster Squad (1987)
* Scooby-Doo! and the Reluctant Werewolf (1988)
* Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)
* Monster Mash (1995)
* Monster Mash (2000)
* Zora the Vampire (2000)
* Monster Family (2017)

Other|

* Drakula halála (1923)
* The Return of the Vampire (1943)
* Drakula İstanbul'da (1953)
* Blood of Dracula (1957)
* The Return of Dracula (1958)
* Batman Dracula (1964)
* Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966)
* Blood of Dracula's Castle (1969)
* Santo en el tesoro de Drácula (1969)
* Count Dracula (1970)
* Los Monstruos del Terror (1970)
* Cuadecuc, vampir (1971)
* Vampyros Lesbos (1971)
* Hrabe Drakula (1971)
* Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971)
* Blacula (1972)
* Scream Blacula Scream (1973)
* Bram Stoker's Dracula (1974)
* Count Dracula's Great Love (1974)
* Deafula (1975)
* Dracula's Dog (1977)
* Count Dracula (1977)
* Doctor Dracula (1978)
* Dracula (1979)
* Nocturna: Granddaughter of Dracula (1979)
* Dracula: Sovereign of the Damned (1980)
* Dracula's Widow (1988)
* To Die For (1989)
* Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989)
* Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
* Nadja (1994)
* Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula (2000)
* Bara no Konrei ~Mayonaka ni Kawashita Yakusoku~ (2001)
* Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary (2002)
* Dracula (2002)
* Van Helsing (2004)
* Van Helsing: The London Assignment (2004)
* The Vulture's Eye (2004)
* Dracula 3000 (2004)
* Blade: Trinity (2004)
* The Batman vs. Dracula (2005)
* Bram Stoker's Dracula's Curse (2006)
* Dracula (2006)
* Bram Stoker's Dracula's Guest (2008)
* The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008)
* House of the Wolf Man (2009)
* Young Dracula (2011)
* Dracula Reborn (2012)
* Dracula 3D (2012)
* Saint Dracula 3D (2012)
* Dracula 2012 (2013)
* Dracula: The Dark Prince (2013)
* Dracula Untold (2014)
* Renfield (2023)
* The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)
* Dracula: A Love Tale (TBA)

Television

| Series|

* Monster Squad (1976)
* Draculas ring (1978)
* Cliffhangers (1979)
* Drak Pack (1980)
* Count Duckula (1988–1993)
* Dracula: The Series (1990–1991)
* Little Dracula (1991–1999)
* Monster Force (1994)
* Ace Kilroy (2011–2012)
* Young Dracula (2006–2014)
* characters
* Dracula (2013–2014)
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* Decker (2014–2017)
* Van Helsing (2016–21)
* Hotel Transylvania: The Series (2017–2020)
* Castlevania (2017–21)
* Dracula (2020)

|

Episodes|

* "Dracula" (Mystery and Imagination) (1968)
* "Buffy vs. Dracula" (2000)
* Young Dracula episodes (2006–2014)
* Penny Dreadful episodes (2014–2016)
* Hotel Transylvania: The Series episodes (2017–2020)

| The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror|

* "Treehouse of Horror IV" (1993)
* "Treehouse of Horror XXI" (2010)

|

Other media

| Novels|

* The Dracula Tape and sequels (1975–2002)
* Anno Dracula series (1992–present)
* Anno Dracula
* The Bloody Red Baron
* Dracula Cha Cha Cha
* The Revenge of Dracula (1978)
* Little Dracula (1986)
* Dracula the Undead (1997)
* The Historian (2005)
* The Book of Renfield (2005)
* Bloodline (2005)
* Young Dracula and Young Monsters (2006)
* Fangland (2007)
* Out of the Dark (2010)

|

Radio|

* Dracula (1938)

Plays|

* Dracula (1924)
* Dracula (1995)
* Dracula (1996)

Musicals|

* Dracula (Czech musical) (1995)
* Dracula: A Chamber Musical (1997)
* Dracula, the Musical (2004)
* Dracula – Entre l'amour et la mort (2006)
* Dracula – L'amour plus fort que la mort (2011)

Comics|

* Crossover
* Dracula (Marvel Comics)
* The Tomb of Dracula
* X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula
* Captain Britain and MI13: Vampire State
* Mrs. Deadpool and the Howling Commandos
* Dracula (Dell Comics)
* Don Dracula
* Dracula Lives!
* Hellsing
* Sword of Dracula
* Batman & Dracula trilogy
* Victorian Undead
* Wolves at the Gate
* Purgatori

Video games|

* The Count (1979)
* Dracula (1983)
* Ghost Manor (1983)
* Castlevania series
* 1986–present
* Dracula
* Dracula (1986)
* Dracula the Undead (1991)
* Drac's Night Out (unreleased)
* Bram Stoker's Dracula (1993)
* Bram Stoker's Dracula (handheld) (1993)
* Dracula Unleashed (1993)
* Dracula: Resurrection (2000)
* Dracula 2: The Last Sanctuary (2000)
* Dracula: Crazy Vampire (2001)
* Van Helsing (2004)
* Dracula 3: The Path of the Dragon (2008)
* Dracula: Origin (2008)
* Vampire Season Monster Defense (2012)
* Dracula 4: The Shadow of the Dragon (2013)
* Dracula 5: The Blood Legacy (2013)
* The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing (2013)
* Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood (2023)

Pinball|

* Dracula (1979)
* Taxi (1988)
* Bram Stoker's Dracula (1993)
* Monster Bash (1998)

Tabletop games|

* The Fury of Dracula

Albums|

* Dracula
* Dracula 2000
* Iubilaeum Anno Dracula 2001
* Perfect Selection: Dracula Battle
* Transylvania
* Van Helsing

Songs|

* "Love Song for a Vampire"

Audio dramas|

* Son of the Dragon

Original characters

| Alternative versions
of Dracula|

* Alucard (Hellsing)
* Count Alucard
* Dracula (Castlevania)
* Dracula (Marvel Comics)
* Count Orlok
* Soma Cruz

|

Relatives of Dracula|

* Alucard (Castlevania)
* Vampire Hunter D
* Eva
* Janus Dracula
* Lilith Dracula
* Shiklah Dracula

Other|

* Blade
* Count von Count
* Simon Belmont

Related

* Lugosi v. Universal Pictures
* Dracula's Guest and Other Weird Stories
* Count Dracula in popular culture
* Transylvanian Society of Dracula
* Dracula Daily
* Dracula Society
* Dracula tourism
* Bibliography of works on Dracula

* Category (Dracula)
* Category (derivatives)

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