Michael D. Kolodzi Attorney at Law
Michael D. Kolodzi Attorney at Law / Supreme Sports
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Michael D. Kolodzi

Civil Code - CIV
DIVISION 2. PROPERTY [654 - 1422] (Heading of Division 2 amended by Stats. 1988, Ch. 160, Sec. 13.)
PART 3. PERSONAL OR MOVABLE PROPERTY [946 - 998] (Part 3 enacted 1872.)
TITLE 2. PARTICULAR KINDS OF PERSONAL PROPERTY [[953.] - 998] (Title 2 enacted 1872.)

CHAPTER 3. Products of the Mind [980 - 989] (Chapter 3 enacted 1872.)

980. (a) (1) The author of any original work of authorship that is not fixed in any tangible medium of expression has an exclusive ownership in the representation or expression thereof as against all persons except one who orginally and independently creates the same or similar work. A work shall be considered not fixed when it is not embodied in a tangible medium of expression or when its embodiment in a tangible medium of expression is not sufficiently permanent or stable to permit it to be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated for a period of more than transitory duration, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.

(2) The author of an original work of authorship consisting of a sound recording initially fixed prior to February 15, 1972, has an exclusive ownership therein until February 15, 2047, as against all persons except one who independently makes or duplicates another sound recording that does not directly or indirectly recapture the actual sounds fixed in such prior sound recording, but consists entirely of an independent fixation of other sounds, even though such sounds imitate or simulate the sounds contained in the prior sound recording.

(b) The inventor or proprietor of any invention or design, with or without delineation, or other graphical representation, has an exclusive ownership therein, and in the representation or expression thereof, which continues so long as the invention or design and the representations or expressions thereof made by him remain in his possession.

(Amended by Stats. 1982, Ch. 574, Sec. 2.)

981. (a) Unless otherwise agreed, an original work of authorship not fixed in any tangible medium of expression and in the creation of which several persons are jointly concerned, is owned by them in equal proportion.

(b) Unless otherwise agreed, an invention or design in the production of which several persons are jointly concerned is owned by them as follows:

(1) If the invention or design is single, in equal proportions.

(2) If it is not single, in proportion to the contribution of each.

(Amended by Stats. 1982, Ch. 574, Sec. 3.)

982. (a) The owner of any rights in any original works of authorship not fixed in any tangible medium of expression may transfer the ownership therein.

(b) The owner of any invention or design, or of any representation or expression thereof, may transfer his or her proprietary interest in it.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision in this section, whenever a work of fine art is transferred, whether by sale or on commission or otherwise, by or on behalf of the artist who created it, or that artist’s heir, legatee, or personal representative, the right of reproduction thereof is reserved to such artist or such heir, legatee, or personal representative until it passes into the public domain by act or operation of law, unless that right is expressly transferred by a document in writing in which reference is made to the specific right of reproduction, signed by the owner of the rights conveyed or that person’s duly authorized agent. If the transfer is pursuant to an employment relationship, the right of reproduction is transferred to the employer, unless it is expressly reserved in writing. If the transfer is pursuant to a legacy or inheritance, the right of reproduction is transferred to the legatee or heir, unless it is expressly reserved by will or codicil. Nothing contained herein, however, shall be construed to prohibit the fair use of such work of fine art.

(d) As used in subdivision (c):

(1) “Fine art” means any work of visual art, including but not limited to, a drawing, painting, sculpture, mosaic, or photograph, a work of calligraphy, work of graphic art (including an etching, lithograph, offset print, silk screen, or a work of graphic art of like nature), crafts (including crafts in clay, textile, fiber, wood, metal, plastic, and like materials), or mixed media (including a collage, assemblage, or any combination of the foregoing art media).

(2) “Artist” means the creator of a work of fine art.

(3) “Right of reproduction”, at the present state of commerce and technology shall be interpreted as including, but shall not be limited to, the following: reproduction of works of fine art as prints suitable for framing; facsimile casts of sculpture; reproductions used for greeting cards; reproductions in general books and magazines not devoted primarily to art, and in newspapers in other than art or news sections, when such reproductions in books, magazines, and newspapers are used for purposes similar to those of material for which the publishers customarily pay; art films; television, except from stations operated for educational purposes, or on programs for educational purposes from all stations; and reproductions used in any form of advertising, including magazines, calendars, newspapers, posters, billboards, films or television.

(e) The amendments to this section made at the 1975–76 Regular Session shall only apply to transfers made on or after January 1, 1976.

(Amended by Stats. 1982, Ch. 574, Sec. 4.)

983. If the owner of any invention or design intentionally makes it public, a copy or reproduction may be made public by any person, without responsiblily to the owner, so far as the law of this state is concerned.

(Amended by Stats. 1982, Ch. 574, Sec. 5.)

984. If the owner of an invention or design does not make it public, any other person subsequently and originally producing the same thing has the same right therein as the prior inventor, which is exclusive to the same extent against all persons except the prior inventor, or those claiming under him.

(Added by Stats. 1949, Ch. 921.)

985. Letters and other private communications in writing belong to the person to whom they are addressed and delivered; but they cannot be published against the will of the writer, except by authority of law.

(Enacted 1872.)

986. (a) Whenever a work of fine art is sold and the seller resides in California or the sale takes place in California, the seller or the seller’s agent shall pay to the artist of such work of fine art or to such artist’s agent 5 percent of the amount of such sale. The right of the artist to receive an amount equal to 5 percent of the amount of such sale may be waived only by a contract in writing providing for an amount in excess of 5 percent of the amount of such sale. An artist may assign the right to collect the royalty payment provided by this section to another individual or entity. However, the assignment shall not have the effect of creating a waiver prohibited by this subdivision.

(1) When a work of fine art is sold at an auction or by a gallery, dealer, broker, museum, or other person acting as the agent for the seller the agent shall withhold 5 percent of the amount of the sale, locate the artist and pay the artist.

(2) If the seller or agent is unable to locate and pay the artist within 90 days, an amount equal to 5 percent of the amount of the sale shall be tranferred to the Arts Council.

(3) If a seller or the seller’s agent fails to pay an artist the amount equal to 5 percent of the sale of a work of fine art by the artist or fails to transfer such amount to the Arts Council, the artist may bring an action for damages within three years after the date of sale or one year after the discovery of the sale, whichever is longer. The prevailing party in any action brought under this paragraph shall be entitled to reasonable attorney fees, in an amount as determined by the court.

(4) Moneys received by the council pursuant to this section shall be deposited in an account in the Special Deposit Fund in the State Treasury.

(5) The Arts Council shall attempt to locate any artist for whom money is received pursuant to this section. If the council is unable to locate the artist and the artist does not file a written claim for the money received by the council within seven years of the date of sale of the work of fine art, the right of the artist terminates and such money shall be transferred to the council for use in acquiring fine art pursuant to the Art in Public Buildings program set forth in Chapter 2.1 (commencing with Section 15813) of Part 10b of Division 3 of Title 2, of the Government Code.

(6) Any amounts of money held by any seller or agent for the payment of artists pursuant to this section shall be exempt from enforcement of a money judgment by the creditors of the seller or agent.

(7) Upon the death of an artist, the rights and duties created under this section shall inure to his or her heirs, legatees, or personal representative, until the 20th anniversary of the death of the artist. The provisions of this paragraph shall be applicable only with respect to an artist who dies after January 1, 1983.

(b) Subdivision (a) shall not apply to any of the following:

(1) To the initial sale of a work of fine art where legal title to such work at the time of such initial sale is vested in the artist thereof.

(2) To the resale of a work of fine art for a gross sales price of less than one thousand dollars ($1,000).

(3) Except as provided in paragraph (7) of subdivision (a), to a resale after the death of such artist.

(4) To the resale of the work of fine art for a gross sales price less than the purchase price paid by the seller.

(5) To a transfer of a work of fine art which is exchanged for one or more works of fine art or for a combination of cash, other property, and one or more works of fine art where the fair market value of the property exchanged is less than one thousand dollars ($1,000).

(6) To the resale of a work of fine art by an art dealer to a purchaser within 10 years of the initial sale of the work of fine art by the artist to an art dealer, provided all intervening resales are between art dealers.

(7) To a sale of a work of stained glass artistry where the work has been permanently attached to real property and is sold as part of the sale of the real property to which it is attached.

(c) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

(1) “Artist” means the person who creates a work of fine art and who, at the time of resale, is a citizen of the United States, or a resident of the state who has resided in the state for a minimum of two years .

(2) “Fine art” means an original painting, sculpture, or drawing, or an original work of art in glass.

(3) “Art dealer” means a person who is actively and principally engaged in or conducting the business of selling works of fine art for which business such person validly holds a sales tax permit.

(d) This section shall become operative on January 1, 1977, and shall apply to works of fine art created before and after its operative date.

(e) If any provision of this section or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid for any reason, such invalidity shall not affect any other provisions or applications of this section which can be effected, without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this section are severable.

(f) The amendments to this section enacted during the 1981–82 Regular Session of the Legislature shall apply to transfers of works of fine art, when created before or after January 1, 1983, that occur on or after that date.

(Amended by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1609, Sec. 1.5.)

987. (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the physical alteration or destruction of fine art, which is an expression of the artist’s personality, is detrimental to the artist’s reputation, and artists therefore have an interest in protecting their works of fine art against any alteration or destruction; and that there is also a public interest in preserving the integrity of cultural and artistic creations.

(b) As used in this section:

(1) “Artist” means the individual or individuals who create a work of fine art.

(2) “Fine art” means an original painting, sculpture, or drawing, or an original work of art in glass, of recognized quality, but shall not include work prepared under contract for commercial use by its purchaser.

(3) “Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, association or other group, however organized.

(4) “Frame” means to prepare, or cause to be prepared, a work of fine art for display in a manner customarily considered to be appropriate for a work of fine art in the particular medium.

(5) “Restore” means to return, or cause to be returned, a deteriorated or damaged work of fine art as nearly as is feasible to its original state or condition, in accordance with prevailing standards.

(6) “Conserve” means to preserve, or cause to be preserved, a work of fine art by retarding or preventing deterioration or damage through appropriate treatment in accordance with prevailing standards in order to maintain the structural integrity to the fullest extent possible in an unchanging state.

(7) “Commercial use” means fine art created under a work-for-hire arrangement for use in advertising, magazines, newspapers, or other print and electronic media.

(c) (1) No person, except an artist who owns and possesses a work of fine art which the artist has created, shall intentionally commit, or authorize the intentional commission of, any physical defacement, mutilation, alteration, or destruction of a work of fine art.

(2) In addition to the prohibitions contained in paragraph (1), no person who frames, conserves, or restores a work of fine art shall commit, or authorize the commission of, any physical defacement, mutilation, alteration, or destruction of a work of fine art by any act constituting gross negligence. For purposes of this section, the term “gross negligence” shall mean the exercise of so slight a degree of care as to justify the belief that there was an indifference to the particular work of fine art.

(d) The artist shall retain at all times the right to claim authorship, or, for a just and valid reason, to disclaim authorship of his or her work of fine art.

(e) To effectuate the rights created by this section, the artist may commence an action to recover or obtain any of the following:

(1) Injunctive relief.

(2) Actual damages.

(3) Punitive damages. In the event that punitive damages are awarded, the court shall, in its discretion, select an organization or organizations engaged in charitable or educational activities involving the fine arts in California to receive any punitive damages.

(4) Reasonable attorneys’ and expert witness fees.

(5) Any other relief which the court deems proper.

(f) In determining whether a work of fine art is of recognized quality, the trier of fact shall rely on the opinions of artists, art dealers, collectors of fine art, curators of art museums, and other persons involved with the creation or marketing of fine art.

(g) The rights and duties created under this section:

(1) Shall, with respect to the artist, or if any artist is deceased, his or her heir, beneficiary, devisee, or personal representative, exist until the 50th anniversary of the death of the artist.

(2) Shall exist in addition to any other rights and duties which may now or in the future be applicable.

(3) Except as provided in paragraph (1) of subdivision (h), may not be waived except by an instrument in writing expressly so providing which is signed by the artist.

(h) (1) If a work of fine art cannot be removed from a building without substantial physical defacement, mutilation, alteration, or destruction of the work, the rights and duties created under this section, unless expressly reserved by an instrument in writing signed by the owner of the building, containing a legal description of the property and properly recorded, shall be deemed waived. The instrument, if properly recorded, shall be binding on subsequent owners of the building.

(2) If the owner of a building wishes to remove a work of fine art which is a part of the building but which can be removed from the building without substantial harm to the fine art, and in the course of or after removal, the owner intends to cause or allow the fine art to suffer physical defacement, mutilation, alteration, or destruction, the rights and duties created under this section shall apply unless the owner has diligently attempted without success to notify the artist, or, if the artist is deceased, his or her heir, beneficiary, devisee, or personal representative, in writing of his or her intended action affecting the work of fine art, or unless he or she did provide notice and that person failed within 90 days either to remove the work or to pay for its removal. If the work is removed at the expense of the artist, his or her heir, beneficiary, devisee, or personal representative, title to the fine art shall pass to that person.

(3) If a work of fine art can be removed from a building scheduled for demolition without substantial physical defacement, mutilation, alteration, or destruction of the work, and the owner of the building has notified the owner of the work of fine art of the scheduled demolition or the owner of the building is the owner of the work of fine art, and the owner of the work of fine art elects not to remove the work of fine art, the rights and duties created under this section shall apply, unless the owner of the building has diligently attempted without success to notify the artist, or, if the artist is deceased, his or her heir, beneficiary, devisee, or personal representative, in writing of the intended action affecting the work of fine art, or unless he or she did provide notice and that person failed within 90 days either to remove the work or to pay for its removal. If the work is removed at the expense of the artist, his or her heir, beneficiary, devisee, or personal representative, title to the fine art shall pass to that person.

(4) Nothing in this subdivision shall affect the rights of authorship created in subdivision (d) of this section.

(i) No action may be maintained to enforce any liability under this section unless brought within three years of the act complained of or one year after discovery of the act, whichever is longer.

(j) This section shall become operative on January 1, 1980, and shall apply to claims based on proscribed acts occurring on or after that date to works of fine art whenever created.

(k) If any provision of this section or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid for any reason, the invalidity shall not affect any other provisions or applications of this section which can be effected without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this section are severable.

(Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 1010, Sec. 30. Effective January 1, 1995.)

988. (a) For the purpose of this section:

(1) The term “artist” means the creator of a work of art.

(2) The term “work of art” means any work of visual or graphic art of any media including, but not limited to, a painting, print, drawing, sculpture, craft, photograph, or film.

(b) Whenever an exclusive or nonexclusive conveyance of any right to reproduce, prepare derivative works based on, distribute copies of, publicly perform, or publicly display a work of art is made by or on behalf of the artist who created it or the owner at the time of the conveyance, ownership of the physical work of art shall remain with and be reserved to the artist or owner, as the case may be, unless such right of ownership is expressly transferred by an instrument, note, memorandum, or other writing, signed by the artist, the owner, or their duly authorized agent.

(c) Whenever an exclusive or nonexclusive conveyance of any right to reproduce, prepare derivative works based on, distribute copies of, publicly perform, or publicly display a work of art is made by or on behalf of the artist who created it or the owner at the time of the conveyance, any ambiguity with respect to the nature or extent of the rights conveyed shall be resolved in favor of the reservation of rights by the artist or owner, unless in any given case the federal copyright law provides to the contrary.

(Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1319, Sec. 1.)

989. (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that there is a public interest in preserving the integrity of cultural and artistic creations.

(b) As used in this section:

(1) “Fine art” means an original painting, sculpture, or drawing, or an original work of art in glass, of recognized quality, and of substantial public interest.

(2) “Organization” means a public or private not-for-profit entity or association, in existence at least three years at the time an action is filed pursuant to this section, a major purpose of which is to stage, display, or otherwise present works of art to the public or to promote the interests of the arts or artists.

(3) “Cost of removal” includes reasonable costs, if any, for the repair of damage to the real property caused by the removal of the work of fine art.

(c) An organization acting in the public interest may commence an action for injunctive relief to preserve or restore the integrity of a work of fine art from acts prohibited by subdivision (c) of Section 987.

(d) In determining whether a work of fine art is of recognized quality and of substantial public interest the trier of fact shall rely on the opinions of those described in subdivision (f) of Section 987.

(e) (1) If a work of fine art cannot be removed from real property without substantial physical defacement, mutilation, alteration, or destruction of such work, no action to preserve the integrity of the work of fine art may be brought under this section. However, if an organization offers some evidence giving rise to a reasonable likelihood that a work of art can be removed from the real property without substantial physical defacement, mutilation, alteration, or destruction of the work, and is prepared to pay the cost of removal of the work, it may bring a legal action for a determination of this issue. In that action the organization shall be entitled to injunctive relief to preserve the integrity of the work of fine art, but shall also have the burden of proof. The action shall commence within 30 days after filing. No action may be brought under this paragraph if the organization’s interest in preserving the work of art is in conflict with an instrument described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (h) of Section 987.

(2) If the owner of the real property wishes to remove a work of fine art which is part of the real property, but which can be removed from the real property without substantial harm to such fine art, and in the course of or after removal, the owner intends to cause or allow the fine art to suffer physical defacement, mutilation, alteration, or destruction the owner shall do the following:

(A) If the artist or artist’s heir, legatee, or personal representative fails to take action to remove the work of fine art after the notice provided by paragraph (2) of subdivision (h) of Section 987, the owner shall provide 30 days’ notice of his or her intended action affecting the work of art. The written notice shall be a display advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the area where the fine art is located. The notice required by this paragraph may run concurrently with the notice required by subdivision (h) of Section 987.

(i) If within the 30-day period an organization agrees to remove the work of fine art and pay the cost of removal of the work, the payment and removal shall occur within 90 days of the first day of the 30-day notice.

(ii) If the work is removed at the expense of an organization, title to the fine art shall pass to that organization.

(B) If an organization does not agree to remove the work of fine art within the 30-day period or fails to remove and pay the cost of removal of the work of fine art within the 90-day period the owner may take the intended action affecting the work of fine art.

(f) To effectuate the rights created by this section, the court may do the following:

(1) Award reasonable attorney’s and expert witness fees to the prevailing party, in an amount as determined by the court.

(2) Require the organization to post a bond in a reasonable amount as determined by the court.

(g) No action may be maintained under this section unless brought within three years of the act complained of or one year after discovery of such act, whichever is longer.

(h) This section shall become operative on January 1, 1983, and shall apply to claims based on acts occurring on or after that date to works of fine art, whenever created.

(i) If any provision of this section or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this section which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this section are severable.

(Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1517, Sec. 4.)

Civil Code - CIV
DIVISION 4. GENERAL PROVISIONS [3274 - 9566] (Heading of Division 4 amended by Stats. 1988, Ch. 160, Sec. 16.)
PART 1. RELIEF [3274 - 3428] (Part 1 enacted 1872.)
TITLE 2. COMPENSATORY RELIEF [3281 - 3360] (Title 2 enacted 1872.)
CHAPTER 2. Measure of Damages [[3300.] - 3360] (Chapter 2 enacted 1872.)

ARTICLE 3. Penal Damages [3344 - 3346] (Article 3 enacted 1872.)

3344. (a) Any person who knowingly uses another’s name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness, in any manner, on or in products, merchandise, or goods, or for purposes of advertising or selling, or soliciting purchases of, products, merchandise, goods or services, without such person’s prior consent, or, in the case of a minor, the prior consent of his parent or legal guardian, shall be liable for any damages sustained by the person or persons injured as a result thereof. In addition, in any action brought under this section, the person who violated the section shall be liable to the injured party or parties in an amount equal to the greater of seven hundred fifty dollars ($750) or the actual damages suffered by him or her as a result of the unauthorized use, and any profits from the unauthorized use that are attributable to the use and are not taken into account in computing the actual damages. In establishing such profits, the injured party or parties are required to present proof only of the gross revenue attributable to such use, and the person who violated this section is required to prove his or her deductible expenses. Punitive damages may also be awarded to the injured party or parties. The prevailing party in any action under this section shall also be entitled to attorney’s fees and costs.

(b) As used in this section, “photograph” means any photograph or photographic reproduction, still or moving, or any videotape or live television transmission, of any person, such that the person is readily identifiable.

(1) A person shall be deemed to be readily identifiable from a photograph when one who views the photograph with the naked eye can reasonably determine that the person depicted in the photograph is the same person who is complaining of its unauthorized use.

(2) If the photograph includes more than one person so identifiable, then the person or persons complaining of the use shall be represented as individuals rather than solely as members of a definable group represented in the photograph. A definable group includes, but is not limited to, the following examples: a crowd at any sporting event, a crowd in any street or public building, the audience at any theatrical or stage production, a glee club, or a baseball team.

(3) A person or persons shall be considered to be represented as members of a definable group if they are represented in the photograph solely as a result of being present at the time the photograph was taken and have not been singled out as individuals in any manner.

(c) Where a photograph or likeness of an employee of the person using the photograph or likeness appearing in the advertisement or other publication prepared by or in behalf of the user is only incidental, and not essential, to the purpose of the publication in which it appears, there shall arise a rebuttable presumption affecting the burden of producing evidence that the failure to obtain the consent of the employee was not a knowing use of the employee’s photograph or likeness.

(d) For purposes of this section, a use of a name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness in connection with any news, public affairs, or sports broadcast or account, or any political campaign, shall not constitute a use for which consent is required under subdivision (a).

(e) The use of a name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness in a commercial medium shall not constitute a use for which consent is required under subdivision (a) solely because the material containing such use is commercially sponsored or contains paid advertising. Rather it shall be a question of fact whether or not the use of the person’s name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness was so directly connected with the commercial sponsorship or with the paid advertising as to constitute a use for which consent is required under subdivision (a).

(f) Nothing in this section shall apply to the owners or employees of any medium used for advertising, including, but not limited to, newspapers, magazines, radio and television networks and stations, cable television systems, billboards, and transit ads, by whom any advertisement or solicitation in violation of this section is published or disseminated, unless it is established that such owners or employees had knowledge of the unauthorized use of the person’s name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness as prohibited by this section.

(g) The remedies provided for in this section are cumulative and shall be in addition to any others provided for by law.

(Amended by Stats. 1984, Ch. 1704, Sec. 2.)

3344.1. (a) (1) Any person who uses a deceased personality’s name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness, in any manner, on or in products, merchandise, or goods, or for purposes of advertising or selling, or soliciting purchases of, products, merchandise, goods, or services, without prior consent from the person or persons specified in subdivision (c), shall be liable for any damages sustained by the person or persons injured as a result thereof. In addition, in any action brought under this section, the person who violated the section shall be liable to the injured party or parties in an amount equal to the greater of seven hundred fifty dollars ($750) or the actual damages suffered by the injured party or parties, as a result of the unauthorized use, and any profits from the unauthorized use that are attributable to the use and are not taken into account in computing the actual damages. In establishing these profits, the injured party or parties shall be required to present proof only of the gross revenue attributable to the use, and the person who violated the section is required to prove his or her deductible expenses. Punitive damages may also be awarded to the injured party or parties. The prevailing party or parties in any action under this section shall also be entitled to attorney’s fees and costs.

(2) For purposes of this subdivision, a play, book, magazine, newspaper, musical composition, audiovisual work, radio or television program, single and original work of art, work of political or newsworthy value, or an advertisement or commercial announcement for any of these works, shall not be considered a product, article of merchandise, good, or service if it is fictional or nonfictional entertainment, or a dramatic, literary, or musical work.

(3) If a work that is protected under paragraph (2) includes within it a use in connection with a product, article of merchandise, good, or service, this use shall not be exempt under this subdivision, notwithstanding the unprotected use’s inclusion in a work otherwise exempt under this subdivision, if the claimant proves that this use is so directly connected with a product, article of merchandise, good, or service as to constitute an act of advertising, selling, or soliciting purchases of that product, article of merchandise, good, or service by the deceased personality without prior consent from the person or persons specified in subdivision (c).

(b) The rights recognized under this section are property rights, freely transferable or descendible, in whole or in part, by contract or by means of any trust or any other testamentary instrument, executed before or after January 1, 1985. The rights recognized under this section shall be deemed to have existed at the time of death of any deceased personality who died prior to January 1, 1985, and, except as provided in subdivision (o), shall vest in the persons entitled to these property rights under the testamentary instrument of the deceased personality effective as of the date of his or her death. In the absence of an express transfer in a testamentary instrument of the deceased personality’s rights in his or her name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness, a provision in the testamentary instrument that provides for the disposition of the residue of the deceased personality’s assets shall be effective to transfer the rights recognized under this section in accordance with the terms of that provision. The rights established by this section shall also be freely transferable or descendible by contract, trust, or any other testamentary instrument by any subsequent owner of the deceased personality’s rights as recognized by this section. Nothing in this section shall be construed to render invalid or unenforceable any contract entered into by a deceased personality during his or her lifetime by which the deceased personality assigned the rights, in whole or in part, to use his or her name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness, regardless of whether the contract was entered into before or after January 1, 1985.

(c) The consent required by this section shall be exercisable by the person or persons to whom the right of consent, or portion thereof, has been transferred in accordance with subdivision (b), or if no transfer has occurred, then by the person or persons to whom the right of consent, or portion thereof, has passed in accordance with subdivision (d).

(d) Subject to subdivisions (b) and (c), after the death of any person, the rights under this section shall belong to the following person or persons and may be exercised, on behalf of and for the benefit of all of those persons, by those persons who, in the aggregate, are entitled to more than a one-half interest in the rights:

(1) The entire interest in those rights belongs to the surviving spouse of the deceased personality unless there are any surviving children or grandchildren of the deceased personality, in which case one-half of the entire interest in those rights belongs to the surviving spouse.

(2) The entire interest in those rights belongs to the surviving children of the deceased personality and to the surviving children of any dead child of the deceased personality unless the deceased personality has a surviving spouse, in which case the ownership of a one-half interest in rights is divided among the surviving children and grandchildren.

(3) If there is no surviving spouse, and no surviving children or grandchildren, then the entire interest in those rights belongs to the surviving parent or parents of the deceased personality.

(4) The rights of the deceased personality’s children and grandchildren are in all cases divided among them and exercisable in the manner provided in Section 240 of the Probate Code according to the number of the deceased personality’s children represented. The share of the children of a dead child of a deceased personality can be exercised only by the action of a majority of them.

(e) If any deceased personality does not transfer his or her rights under this section by contract, or by means of a trust or testamentary instrument, and there are no surviving persons as described in subdivision (d), then the rights set forth in subdivision (a) shall terminate.

(f) (1) A successor in interest to the rights of a deceased personality under this section or a licensee thereof shall not recover damages for a use prohibited by this section that occurs before the successor in interest or licensee registers a claim of the rights under paragraph (2).

(2) Any person claiming to be a successor in interest to the rights of a deceased personality under this section or a licensee thereof may register that claim with the Secretary of State on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State and upon payment of a fee as set forth in subdivision (d) of Section 12195 of the Government Code. The form shall be verified and shall include the name and date of death of the deceased personality, the name and address of the claimant, the basis of the claim, and the rights claimed.

(3) Upon receipt and after filing of any document under this section, the Secretary of State shall post the document along with the entire registry of persons claiming to be a successor in interest to the rights of a deceased personality or a registered licensee under this section upon the Secretary of State’s Internet Web site. The Secretary of State may microfilm or reproduce by other techniques any of the filings or documents and destroy the original filing or document. The microfilm or other reproduction of any document under this section shall be admissible in any court of law. The microfilm or other reproduction of any document may be destroyed by the Secretary of State 70 years after the death of the personality named therein.

(4) Claims registered under this subdivision shall be public records.

(g) An action shall not be brought under this section by reason of any use of a deceased personality’s name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness occurring after the expiration of 70 years after the death of the deceased personality.

(h) As used in this section, “deceased personality” means any natural person whose name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness has commercial value at the time of his or her death, or because of his or her death, whether or not during the lifetime of that natural person the person used his or her name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness on or in products, merchandise, or goods, or for purposes of advertising or selling, or solicitation of purchase of, products, merchandise, goods, or services. A “deceased personality” shall include, without limitation, any such natural person who has died within 70 years prior to January 1, 1985.

(i) As used in this section, “photograph” means any photograph or photographic reproduction, still or moving, or any videotape or live television transmission, of any person, such that the deceased personality is readily identifiable. A deceased personality shall be deemed to be readily identifiable from a photograph if one who views the photograph with the naked eye can reasonably determine who the person depicted in the photograph is.

(j) For purposes of this section, the use of a name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness in connection with any news, public affairs, or sports broadcast or account, or any political campaign, shall not constitute a use for which consent is required under subdivision (a).

(k) The use of a name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness in a commercial medium shall not constitute a use for which consent is required under subdivision (a) solely because the material containing the use is commercially sponsored or contains paid advertising. Rather, it shall be a question of fact whether or not the use of the deceased personality’s name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness was so directly connected with the commercial sponsorship or with the paid advertising as to constitute a use for which consent is required under subdivision (a).

(l) Nothing in this section shall apply to the owners or employees of any medium used for advertising, including, but not limited to, newspapers, magazines, radio and television networks and stations, cable television systems, billboards, and transit advertisements, by whom any advertisement or solicitation in violation of this section is published or disseminated, unless it is established that the owners or employees had knowledge of the unauthorized use of the deceased personality’s name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness as prohibited by this section.

(m) The remedies provided for in this section are cumulative and shall be in addition to any others provided for by law.

(n) This section shall apply to the adjudication of liability and the imposition of any damages or other remedies in cases in which the liability, damages, and other remedies arise from acts occurring directly in this state. For purposes of this section, acts giving rise to liability shall be limited to the use, on or in products, merchandise, goods, or services, or the advertising or selling, or soliciting purchases of, products, merchandise, goods, or services prohibited by this section.

(o) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, if an action was taken prior to May 1, 2007, to exercise rights recognized under this section relating to a deceased personality who died prior to January 1, 1985, by a person described in subdivision (d), other than a person who was disinherited by the deceased personality in a testamentary instrument, and the exercise of those rights was not challenged successfully in a court action by a person described in subdivision (b), that exercise shall not be affected by subdivision (b). In that case, the rights that would otherwise vest in one or more persons described in subdivision (b) shall vest solely in the person or persons described in subdivision (d), other than a person disinherited by the deceased personality in a testamentary instrument, for all future purposes.

(p) The rights recognized by this section are expressly made retroactive, including to those deceased personalities who died before January 1, 1985.

(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 296, Sec. 35. (AB 1023) Effective January 1, 2012.)

Labor Code - LAB
DIVISION 2. EMPLOYMENT REGULATION AND SUPERVISION [200 - 2699.5] (Division 2 enacted by Stats. 1937, Ch. 90.)
PART 6. LICENSING [1682 - 1706.5] (Heading of Part 6 amended by Stats. 1972, Ch. 590.)
CHAPTER 4. Talent Agencies [1700 - 1700.54] (Heading of Chapter 4 amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1382.)

ARTICLE 1. Scope and Definitions [1700 - 1700.4] (Article 1 added by Stats. 1959, Ch. 888.)

1700. As used in this chapter, “person” means any individual, company, society, firm, partnership, association, corporation, limited liability company, manager, or their agents or employees.

(Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 1010, Sec. 184. Effective January 1, 1995.)

1700.1. As used in this chapter:

(a) “Theatrical engagement” means any engagement or employment of a person as an actor, performer, or entertainer in a circus, vaudeville, theatrical, or other entertainment, exhibition, or performance.

(b) “Motion picture engagement” means any engagement or employment of a person as an actor, actress, director, scenario, or continuity writer, camera man, or in any capacity concerned with the making of motion pictures.

(c) “Emergency engagement” means an engagement which has to be performed within 24 hours from the time when the contract for such engagement is made.

(Added by Stats. 1959, Ch. 888.)

1700.2. (a) As used in this chapter, “fee” means any of the following:

(1) Any money or other valuable consideration paid or promised to be paid for services rendered or to be rendered by any person conducting the business of a talent agency under this chapter.

(2) Any money received by any person in excess of that which has been paid out by him or her for transportation, transfer of baggage, or board and lodging for any applicant for employment.

(3) The difference between the amount of money received by any person who furnished employees, performers, or entertainers for circus, vaudeville, theatrical, or other entertainments, exhibitions, or performances, and the amount paid by him or her to the employee, performer, or entertainer.

(b) As used in this chapter, “registration fee” means any charge made, or attempted to be made, to an artist for any of the following purposes:

(1) Registering or listing an applicant for employment in the entertainment industry.

(2) Letter writing.

(3) Photographs, film strips, video tapes, or other reproductions of the applicant.

(4) Costumes for the applicant.

(5) Any activity of a like nature.

(Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 488, Sec. 1.)

1700.3. As used in this chapter:

(a) “License” means a license issued by the Labor Commissioner to carry on the business of a talent agency under this chapter.

(b) “Licensee” means a talent agency which holds a valid, unrevoked, and unforfeited license under this chapter.

(Added by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1382.)

1700.4. (a) “Talent agency” means a person or corporation who engages in the occupation of procuring, offering, promising, or attempting to procure employment or engagements for an artist or artists, except that the activities of procuring, offering, or promising to procure recording contracts for an artist or artists shall not of itself subject a person or corporation to regulation and licensing under this chapter. Talent agencies may, in addition, counsel or direct artists in the development of their professional careers.

(b) “Artists” means actors and actresses rendering services on the legitimate stage and in the production of motion pictures, radio artists, musical artists, musical organizations, directors of legitimate stage, motion picture and radio productions, musical directors, writers, cinematographers, composers, lyricists, arrangers, models, and other artists and persons rendering professional services in motion picture, theatrical, radio, television and other entertainment enterprises.

(Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 488, Sec. 2.)

ARTICLE 2. Licenses [1700.5 - 1700.22] (Article 2 added by Stats. 1959, Ch. 888.)

1700.5. No person shall engage in or carry on the occupation of a talent agency without first procuring a license therefor from the Labor Commissioner. The license shall be posted in a conspicuous place in the office of the licensee. The license number shall be referred to in any advertisement for the purpose of the solicitation of talent for the talent agency.

Licenses issued for talent agencies prior to the effective date of this chapter shall not be invalidated thereby, but renewals of those licenses shall be obtained in the manner prescribed by this chapter.

(Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 480, Sec. 1.)

1700.6. A written application for a license shall be made to the Labor Commissioner in the form prescribed by him or her and shall state:

(a) The name and address of the applicant.

(b) The street and number of the building or place where the business of the talent agency is to be conducted.

(c) The business or occupation engaged in by the applicant for at least two years immediately preceding the date of application.

(d) If the applicant is other than a corporation, the names and addresses of all persons, except bona fide employees on stated salaries, financially interested, either as partners, associates, or profit sharers, in the operation of the talent agency in question, together with the amount of their respective interests.

If the applicant is a corporation, the corporate name, the names, residential addresses, and telephone numbers of all officers of the corporation, the names of all persons exercising managing responsibility in the applicant or licensee’s office, and the names and addresses of all persons having a financial interest of 10 percent or more in the business and the percentage of financial interest owned by those persons.

The application shall be accompanied by two sets of fingerprints of the applicant and affidavits of at least two reputable residents of the city or county in which the business of the talent agency is to be conducted who have known, or been associated with, the applicant for two years, that the applicant is a person of good moral character or, in the case of a corporation, has a reputation for fair dealing.

(Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 488, Sec. 3.)

1700.7. Upon receipt of an application for a license the Labor Commissioner may cause an investigation to be made as to the character and responsibility of the applicant and of the premises designated in such application as the place in which it is proposed to conduct the business of the talent agency.

(Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1382.)

1700.8. The commissioner upon proper notice and hearing may refuse to grant a license. The proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing at Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code and the commissioner shall have all the power granted therein.

(Added by Stats. 1959, Ch. 888.)

1700.9. No license shall be granted to conduct the business of a talent agency:

(a) In a place that would endanger the health, safety, or welfare of the artist.

(b) To a person whose license has been revoked within three years from the date of application.

(Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 488, Sec. 4.)

1700.10. The license when first issued shall run to the next birthday of the applicant, and each license shall then be renewed within the 30 days preceding the licensee’s birthday and shall run from birthday to birthday. In case the applicant is a partnership, such license shall be renewed within the 30 days preceding the birthday of the oldest partner. If the applicant is a corporation, such license shall be renewed within the 30 days preceding the anniversary of the date the corporation was lawfully formed. Renewal shall require the filing of an application for renewal, a renewal bond, and the payment of the annual license fee, but the Labor Commissioner may demand that a new application or new bond be submitted.

If the applicant or licensee desires, in addition, a branch office license, he shall file an application in accordance with the provisions of this section as heretofore set forth.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1382.)

1700.11. All applications for renewal shall state the names and addresses of all persons, except bona fide employees on stated salaries, financially interested either as partners, associates or profit sharers, in the operation of the business of the talent agency.

(Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1382.)

1700.12. A filing fee of twenty-five dollars ($25) shall be paid to the Labor Commissioner at the time the application for issuance of a talent agency license is filed.

In addition to the filing fee required for application for issuance of a talent agency license, every talent agency shall pay to the Labor Commissioner annually at the time a license is issued or renewed:

(a) A license fee of two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225).

(b) Fifty dollars ($50) for each branch office maintained by the talent agency in this state.

(Amended by Stats. 1983, Ch. 323, Sec. 61. Effective July 1, 1983.)

1700.13. A filing fee of twenty-five dollars ($25) shall be paid to the Labor Commissioner at the time application for consent to the transfer or assignment of a talent agency license is made but no license fee shall be required upon the assignment or transfer of a license.

The location of a talent agency shall not be changed without the written consent of the Labor Commissioner.

(Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1382.)

1700.14. Whenever an application for a license or renewal is made, and application processing pursuant to this chapter has not been completed, the Labor Commissioner may, at his or her discretion, issue a temporary or provisional license valid for a period not exceeding 90 days, and subject, where appropriate, to the automatic and summary revocation by the Labor Commissioner. Otherwise, the conditions for issuance or renewal shall meet the requirements of Section 1700.6.

(Added by Stats. 1984, Ch. 557, Sec. 3.)

1700.15. A talent agency shall also deposit with the Labor Commissioner, prior to the issuance or renewal of a license, a surety bond in the penal sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).

(Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 46, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2006.)

1700.16. Such surety bonds shall be payable to the people of the State of California, and shall be conditioned that the person applying for the license will comply with this chapter and will pay all sums due any individual or group of individuals when such person or his representative or agent has received such sums, and will pay all damages occasioned to any person by reason of misstatement, misrepresentation, fraud, deceit, or any unlawful acts or omissions of the licensed talent agency, or its agents or employees, while acting within the scope of their employment.

(Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1382.)

1700.18. (a) All moneys collected for filing fees and licenses under this chapter shall be paid into the State Treasury and credited to the Labor Enforcement and Compliance Fund.

(b) All fines collected for violations of this chapter shall be paid into the State Treasury and credited to the General Fund.

(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 31, Sec. 182. (SB 836) Effective June 27, 2016.)

1700.19. Each license shall contain all of the following:

(a) The name of the licensee.

(b) A designation of the city, street, and number of the premises in which the licensee is authorized to carry on the business of a talent agency.

(c) The number and date of issuance of the license.

(Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 488, Sec. 6.)

1700.20. No license shall protect any other than the person to whom it is issued nor any places other than those designated in the license. No license shall be transferred or assigned to any person unless written consent is obtained from the Labor Commissioner.

(Added by Stats. 1959, Ch. 888.)

1700.20a. The Labor Commissioner may issue to a person eligible therefor a certificate of convenience to conduct the business of a talent agency where the person licensed to conduct such talent agency business has died or has had a conservator of the estate appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction. Such a certificate of convenience may be denominated an estate certificate of convenience.

(Amended by Stats. 1979, Ch. 730.)

1700.20b. To be eligible for a certificate of convenience, a person shall be either:

(a) The executor or administrator of the estate of a deceased person licensed to conduct the business of a talent agency.

(b) If no executor or administrator has been appointed, the surviving spouse or heir otherwise entitled to conduct the business of such deceased licensee.

(c) The conservator of the estate of a person licensed to conduct the business of a talent agency.

Such estate certificate of convenience shall continue in force for a period of not to exceed 90 days, and shall be renewable for such period as the Labor Commissioner may deem appropriate, pending the disposal of the talent agency license or the procurement of a new license under the provisions of this chapter.

(Amended by Stats. 1979, Ch. 730.)

1700.21. The Labor Commissioner may revoke or suspend any license when it is shown that any of the following occur:

(a) The licensee or his or her agent has violated or failed to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter.

(b) The licensee has ceased to be of good moral character.

(c) The conditions under which the license was issued have changed or no longer exist.

(d) The licensee has made any material misrepresentation or false statement in his or her application for a license.

(Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 488, Sec. 7.)

1700.22. Before revoking or suspending any license, the Labor Commissioner shall afford the holder of such license an opportunity to be heard in person or by counsel. The proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing at Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and the commissioner shall have all the powers granted therein.

(Added by Stats. 1959, Ch. 888.)

ARTICLE 3. Operation and Management [1700.23 - 1700.47] ( Article 3 added by Stats. 1959, Ch. 888. )

1700.23. Every talent agency shall submit to the Labor Commissioner a form or forms of contract to be utilized by such talent agency in entering into written contracts with artists for the employment of the services of such talent agency by such artists, and secure the approval of the Labor Commissioner thereof. Such approval shall not be withheld as to any proposed form of contract unless such proposed form of contract is unfair, unjust and oppressive to the artist. Each such form of contract, except under the conditions specified in Section 1700.45, shall contain an agreement by the talent agency to refer any controversy between the artist and the talent agency relating to the terms of the contract to the Labor Commissioner for adjustment. There shall be printed on the face of the contract in prominent type the following: “This talent agency is licensed by the Labor Commissioner of the State of California.”

(Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1382.)

1700.24. Every talent agency shall file with the Labor Commissioner a schedule of fees to be charged and collected in the conduct of that occupation, and shall also keep a copy of the schedule posted in a conspicuous place in the office of the talent agency. Changes in the schedule may be made from time to time, but no fee or change of fee shall become effective until seven days after the date of filing thereof with the Labor Commissioner and until posted for not less than seven days in a conspicuous place in the office of the talent agency.

(Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 488, Sec. 8.)

1700.25. (a) A licensee who receives any payment of funds on behalf of an artist shall immediately deposit that amount in a trust fund account maintained by him or her in a bank or other recognized depository. The funds, less the licensee’s commission, shall be disbursed to the artist within 30 days after receipt. However, notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the licensee may retain the funds beyond 30 days of receipt in either of the following circumstances:

(1) To the extent necessary to offset an obligation of the artist to the talent agency that is then due and owing.

(2) When the funds are the subject of a controversy pending before the Labor Commissioner under Section 1700.44 concerning a fee alleged to be owed by the artist to the licensee.

(b) A separate record shall be maintained of all funds received on behalf of an artist and the record shall further indicate the disposition of the funds.

(c) If disputed by the artist and the dispute is referred to the Labor Commissioner, the failure of a licensee to disburse funds to an artist within 30 days of receipt shall constitute a “controversy” within the meaning of Section 1700.44.

(d) Any funds specified in subdivision (a) that are the subject of a controversy pending before the Labor Commissioner under Section 1700.44 shall be retained in the trust fund account specified in subdivision (a) and shall not be used by the licensee for any purpose until the controversy is determined by the Labor Commissioner or settled by the parties.

(e) If the Labor Commissioner finds, in proceedings under Section 1700.44, that the licensee’s failure to disburse funds to an artist within the time required by subdivision (a) was a willful violation, the Labor Commissioner may, in addition to other relief under Section 1700.44, order the following:

(1) Award reasonable attorney’s fees to the prevailing artist.

(2) Award interest to the prevailing artist on the funds wrongfully withheld at the rate of 10 percent per annum during the period of the violation.

(f) Nothing in subdivision (c), (d), or (e) shall be deemed to supersede Section 1700.45 or to affect the enforceability of a contractual arbitration provision meeting the criteria of Section 1700.45.

(Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 1032, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1995.)

1700.26. Every talent agency shall keep records in a form approved by the Labor Commissioner, in which shall be entered all of the following:

(1) The name and address of each artist employing the talent agency.

(2) The amount of fee received from the artist.

(3) The employments secured by the artist during the term of the contract between the artist and the talent agency, and the amount of compensation received by the artists pursuant thereto.

(4) Any other information which the Labor Commissioner requires.

No talent agency, its agent or employees, shall make any false entry in any records.

(Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 488, Sec. 11.)

1700.27. All books, records, and other papers kept pursuant to this chapter by any talent agency shall be open at all reasonable hours to the inspection of the Labor Commissioner and his agents. Every talent agency shall furnish to the Labor Commissioner upon request a true copy of such books, records, and papers or any portion thereof, and shall make such reports as the Labor Commissioner prescribes.

(Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1382.)

1700.28. Every talent agency shall post in a conspicuous place in the office of such talent agency a printed copy of this chapter and of such other statutes as may be specified by the Labor Commissioner. Such copies shall also contain the name and address of the officer charged with the enforcement of this chapter. The Labor Commissioner shall furnish to talent agencies printed copies of any statute required to be posted under the provisions of this section.

(Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1382.)

1700.29. The Labor Commissioner may, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 4 (commencing at Section 11370), Part 1, Division 3, Title 2 of the Government Code, adopt, amend, and repeal such rules and regulations as are reasonably necessary for the purpose of enforcing and administering this chapter and as are not inconsistent with this chapter.

(Added by Stats. 1959, Ch. 888.)

1700.30. No talent agency shall sell, transfer, or give away to any person other than a director, officer, manager, employee, or shareholder of the talent agency any interest in or the right to participate in the profits of the talent agency without the written consent of the Labor Commissioner.

(Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 488, Sec. 12.)

1700.31. No talent agency shall knowingly issue a contract for employment containing any term or condition which, if complied with, would be in violation of law, or attempt to fill an order for help to be employed in violation of law.

(Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1382.)

1700.32. No talent agency shall publish or cause to be published any false, fraudulent, or misleading information, representation, notice, or advertisement. All advertisements of a talent agency by means of cards, circulars, or signs, and in newspapers and other publications, and all letterheads, receipts, and blanks shall be printed and contain the licensed name and address of the talent agency and the words “talent agency.” No talent agency shall give any false information or make any false promises or representations concerning an engagement or employment to any applicant who applies for an engagement or employment.

(Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1382.)

1700.33. No talent agency shall send or cause to be sent, any artist to any place where the health, safety, or welfare of the artist could be adversely affected, the character of which place the talent agency could have ascertained upon reasonable inquiry.

(Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 488, Sec. 13.)

1700.34. No talent agency shall send any minor to any saloon or place where intoxicating liquors are sold to be consumed on the premises.

(Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1382.)

1700.35. No talent agency shall knowingly permit any persons of bad character, prostitutes, gamblers, intoxicated persons, or procurers to frequent, or be employed in, the place of business of the talent agency.

(Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1382.)

1700.36. No talent agency shall accept any application for employment made by or on behalf of any minor, as defined by subdivision (c) of Section 1286, or shall place or assist in placing any such minor in any employment whatever in violation of Part 4 (commencing with Section 1171).

(Amended by Stats. 1983, Ch. 142, Sec. 100.)

1700.37. A minor cannot disaffirm a contract, otherwise valid, entered into during minority, either during the actual minority of the minor entering into such contract or at any time thereafter, with a duly licensed talent agency as defined in Section 1700.4 to secure him engagements to render artistic or creative services in motion pictures, television, the production of phonograph records, the legitimate or living stage, or otherwise in the entertainment field including, but without being limited to, services as an actor, actress, dancer, musician, comedian, singer, or other performer or entertainer, or as a writer, director, producer, production executive, choreographer, composer, conductor or designer, the blank form of which has been approved by the Labor Commissioner pursuant to Section 1700.23, where such contract has been approved by the superior court of the county where such minor resides or is employed.

Such approval may be given by the superior court on the petition of either party to the contract after such reasonable notice to the other party thereto as may be fixed by said court, with opportunity to such other party to appear and be heard.

(Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1382.)

1700.38. No talent agency shall knowingly secure employment for an artist in any place where a strike, lockout, or other labor trouble exists, without notifying the artist of such conditions.

(Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1382.)

1700.39. No talent agency shall divide fees with an employer, an agent or other employee of an employer.

(Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1382.)

1700.40. (a) No talent agency shall collect a registration fee. In the event that a talent agency shall collect from an artist a fee or expenses for obtaining employment for the artist, and the artist shall fail to procure the employment, or the artist shall fail to be paid for the employment, the talent agency shall, upon demand therefor, repay to the artist the fee and expenses so collected. Unless repayment thereof is made within 48 hours after demand therefor, the talent agency shall pay to the artist an additional sum equal to the amount of the fee.

(b) No talent agency may refer an artist to any person, firm, or corporation in which the talent agency has a direct or indirect financial interest for other services to be rendered to the artist, including, but not limited to, photography, audition tapes, demonstration reels or similar materials, business management, personal management, coaching, dramatic school, casting or talent brochures, agency-client directories, or other printing.

(c) No talent agency may accept any referral fee or similar compensation from any person, association, or corporation providing services of any type expressly set forth in subdivision (b) to an artist under contract with the talent agency.

(Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 1032, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1995.)

1700.41. In cases where an artist is sent by a talent agency beyond the limits of the city in which the office of such talent agency is located upon the representation of such talent agency that employment of a particular type will there be available for the artist and the artist does not find such employment available, such talent agency shall reimburse the artist for any actual expenses incurred in going to and returning from the place where the artist has been so sent unless the artist has been otherwise so reimbursed.

(Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1382.)

1700.44. (a) In cases of controversy arising under this chapter, the parties involved shall refer the matters in dispute to the Labor Commissioner, who shall hear and determine the same, subject to an appeal within 10 days after determination, to the superior court where the same shall be heard de novo. To stay any award for money, the party aggrieved shall execute a bond approved by the superior court in a sum not exceeding twice the amount of the judgment. In all other cases the bond shall be in a sum of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) and approved by the superior court.

The Labor Commissioner may certify without a hearing that there is no controversy within the meaning of this section if he or she has by investigation established that there is no dispute as to the amount of the fee due. Service of the certification shall be made upon all parties concerned by registered or certified mail with return receipt requested and the certification shall become conclusive 10 days after the date of mailing if no objection has been filed with the Labor Commissioner during that period.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, failure of any person to obtain a license from the Labor Commissioner pursuant to this chapter shall not be considered a criminal act under any law of this state.

(c) No action or proceeding shall be brought pursuant to this chapter with respect to any violation which is alleged to have occurred more than one year prior to commencement of the action or proceeding.

(d) It is not unlawful for a person or corporation which is not licensed pursuant to this chapter to act in conjunction with, and at the request of, a licensed talent agency in the negotiation of an employment contract.

(Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 488, Sec. 15.)

1700.45. Notwithstanding Section 1700.44, a provision in a contract providing for the decision by arbitration of any controversy under the contract or as to its existence, validity, construction, performance, nonperformance, breach, operation, continuance, or termination, shall be valid:

(a) If the provision is contained in a contract between a talent agency and a person for whom the talent agency under the contract undertakes to endeavor to secure employment, or

(b) If the provision is inserted in the contract pursuant to any rule, regulation, or contract of a bona fide labor union regulating the relations of its members to a talent agency, and

(c) If the contract provides for reasonable notice to the Labor Commissioner of the time and place of all arbitration hearings, and

(d) If the contract provides that the Labor Commissioner or his or her authorized representative has the right to attend all arbitration hearings.

Except as otherwise provided in this section, any arbitration shall be governed by the provisions of Title 9 (commencing with Section 1280) of Part 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

If there is an arbitration provision in a contract, the contract need not provide that the talent agency agrees to refer any controversy between the applicant and the talent agency regarding the terms of the contract to the Labor Commissioner for adjustment, and Section 1700.44 shall not apply to controversies pertaining to the contract.

A provision in a contract providing for the decision by arbitration of any controversy arising under this chapter which does not meet the requirements of this section is not made valid by Section 1281 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 488, Sec. 16.)

1700.47. It shall be unlawful for any licensee to refuse to represent any artist on account of that artist’s race, color, creed, sex, national origin, religion, or handicap.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 488, Sec. 18.)


Penal Code - PEN
PART 1. OF CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS [25 - 680.4] (Part 1 enacted 1872.)
TITLE 15. MISCELLANEOUS CRIMES [626 - 653.75] (Title 15 enacted 1872.)

CHAPTER 2. Of Other and Miscellaneous Offenses [639 - 653.2] (Chapter 2 enacted 1872.)

653w. (a) (1) A person is guilty of failure to disclose the origin of a recording or audiovisual work if, for commercial advantage or private financial gain, he or she knowingly advertises or offers for sale or resale, or sells or resells, or causes the rental, sale, or resale of, or rents, or manufactures, or possesses for these purposes, any recording or audiovisual work, the outside cover, box, jacket, or label of which does not clearly and conspicuously disclose the actual true name and address of the manufacturer thereof and the name of the actual author, artist, performer, producer, programmer, or group thereon. This section does not require the original manufacturer or authorized licensees of software producers to disclose the contributing authors or programmers.

(2) As used in this section, “recording” means any tangible medium upon which information or sounds are recorded or otherwise stored, including, but not limited to, any phonograph record, disc, tape, audio cassette, wire, film, memory card, flash drive, hard drive, data storage device, or other medium on which information or sounds are recorded or otherwise stored, but does not include sounds accompanying a motion picture or other audiovisual work.

(3) As used in this section, “audiovisual works” are the physical embodiment of works that consist of related images that are intrinsically intended to be shown using machines or devices, such as projectors, viewers, or electronic equipment, together with accompanying sounds, if any, regardless of the nature of the material objects, such as films, tapes, discs, memory cards, flash drives, hard drives, data storage devices, or other devices, on which the works are embodied.

(b) A person who has been convicted of a violation of subdivision (a) shall be punished as follows:

(1) If the offense involves the advertisement, offer for sale or resale, sale, rental, manufacture, or possession for these purposes, of at least 100 articles of audio recordings or 100 articles of audiovisual works described in subdivision (a), or the commercial equivalent thereof, the person shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for two, three, or five years, or by a fine not to exceed five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.

(2) Any other violation of subdivision (a) not described in paragraph (1) shall, upon a first offense, be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by a fine not to exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.

(3) A second or subsequent conviction under subdivision (a) not described in paragraph (1) shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year or pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170, or by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000), but not to exceed two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 561, Sec. 181. (AB 1516) Effective January 1, 2018.)

Business and Professions Code - BPC
DIVISION 6. BUSINESS RIGHTS [14000 - 14704] (Division 6 added by Stats. 1941, Ch. 56.)
CHAPTER 2. Model State Trademark Law [14200 - 14272] (Chapter 2 repealed and added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2.)

ARTICLE 1. General Provisions [14200 - 14202] (Article 1 added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2.)

14200. This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Model State Trademark Law.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

14202. For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

(a) “Trademark” means any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination thereof, used by a person to identify and distinguish the goods of that person, including a unique product, from those manufactured or sold by others, and to indicate the source of the goods, even if that source is unknown.

(b) “Service mark” means any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination thereof, used by a person to identify and distinguish the services of that person, including a unique service, from the services of others, and to indicate the source of the services, even if that source is unknown. Titles, character names used by a person, and other distinctive features of radio or television programs may be registered as service marks notwithstanding that they, or the programs, may advertise the goods of the sponsor.

(c) “Mark” includes any trademark or service mark entitled to registration under this chapter, whether registered or not.

(d) “Trade name” means any name used by a person to identify a business or vocation of that person.

(e) The term “person” and any other word or term used to designate the applicant or other party entitled to a benefit or privilege or rendered liable under the provisions of this chapter includes a juristic person as well as a natural person. The term “juristic person” includes a firm, partnership, corporation, union, association, or other organization capable of suing and being sued in a court of law.

(f) “Applicant” means the person filing an application for registration of a mark under this chapter, and the legal representatives, successors, or assigns of the person.

(g) “Registrant” means the person to whom the registration of a mark under this chapter is issued, and the legal representatives, successors, or assigns of the person.

(h) “Use” means the bona fide use of a mark in the ordinary course of trade, and not made merely to reserve a right in a mark. For the purposes of this chapter, a mark shall be deemed to be in use if it is used on either of the following:

(1) On goods when it is placed in any manner on the goods or other containers or the displays associated therewith or on the tags or labels affixed thereto, or if the nature of the goods makes that placement impracticable, then on documents associated with the goods or their sale, and the goods are sold or transported in commerce in this state.

(2) On services when it is used or displayed in the sale or advertising of services and the services are rendered in this state.

(i) “Abandoned” means either of the following has occurred:

(1) A mark’s use has been discontinued with intent not to resume that use. Intent not to resume the use may be inferred from circumstances. Nonuse for two consecutive years shall constitute prima facie evidence of abandonment.

(2) When any course of conduct of the owner, including acts of omission as well as commission, causes the mark to lose its significance as a mark.

(j) “Secretary” means the Secretary of State or the designee of the Secretary of State charged with the administration of this chapter.

(k) “Dilution” means dilution by blurring or dilution by tarnishment, regardless of the presence or absence of any of the following:

(1) Competition between the owner of the famous mark and other parties.

(2) Actual or likely confusion, mistake, or deception.

(3) Actual economic injury.

(l) “Dilution by blurring” means association arising from the similarity between a mark or a trade name and a famous mark that impairs the distinctiveness of the famous mark.

(m) “Dilution by tarnishment” means association arising from the similarity between a mark or a trade name and a famous mark that harms the reputation of the famous mark.

(n) “Counterfeit” means a spurious trademark, service mark, collective mark, or certification mark that is identical to, or substantially indistinguishable from, a registered mark that is used on or in connection with goods or services or any labels or packaging or components.

(o) “Comparative commercial advertising” means the use of a competitor’s trademark in advertising to compare the relative qualities of the competitive goods.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

ARTICLE 2. Application for Registration [14205 - 14209] (Article 2 added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2.)

14205. A mark by which the goods or services of any applicant for registration may be distinguished from the goods or services of others shall not be registered if it meets any of the following criteria:

(a) It consists of or comprises immoral, deceptive, or scandalous matter.

(b) It consists of or comprises matter that may disparage or falsely suggest a connection with persons living or dead, institutions, beliefs, or national symbols, or bring them into contempt or disrepute.

(c) It consists of or comprises the flag or coat of arms or other insignia of the United States of America, of any state or municipality, or of any foreign nation, or any simulation thereof.

(d) It consists of or comprises the name, signature, or a portrait identifying a particular living individual, except by the individual’s written consent.

(e) It consists of a mark that is any of the following:

(1) When used on or in connection with the goods or services of the applicant, is merely descriptive or deceptively misdescriptive of them.

(2) When used on or in connection with the goods or services of the applicant, is primarily geographically descriptive or deceptively misdescriptive of them.

(3) Is primarily merely a surname, provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph shall prevent the registration of a mark used by the applicant that has become distinctive of the applicant’s goods or services. The secretary may accept as evidence that the mark has become distinctive, as used on or in connection with the applicant’s goods or services, proof of continuous use thereof as a mark by the applicant in this state for the five years before the date on which the claim of distinctiveness is made.

(f) It consists of or comprises a mark that so resembles a mark registered in this state or a mark or trade name previously used by another and not abandoned, as to be likely, when used on or in connection with the goods or services of the applicant, to cause confusion or mistake, or to deceive.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

14207. (a) Subject to the limitations set forth in this chapter, a person who uses a mark may file with the secretary, on a form prescribed by the secretary, an application for registration of that mark setting forth, but not limited to, the following information:

(1) The name and business address of the person applying for the registration and, if that person is a corporation or partnership, the state of incorporation or the state in which the partnership is organized and the names of the general partners, as specified by the secretary.

(2) The goods or services on or in connection with which the mark is used, the mode or manner in which the mark is used on or in connection with the goods or services, and the class in which the goods or services fall.

(3) The date on which the mark was first used anywhere and the date when it was first used in this state by the applicant or a predecessor in interest.

(4) A statement that the applicant is the owner of the mark, that the mark is in use, and that, to the knowledge of the person verifying the application, no other person has registered in this state or has the right to use the mark, either in the identical form or in such near resemblance as to be likely, when applied to the goods or services of the other person, to cause confusion, to cause mistake, or to deceive.

(b) The secretary may also require a statement as to whether an application to register the mark, or portions or a composite thereof, has been filed by the applicant or a predecessor in interest with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and, if so, the applicant shall provide full particulars with respect thereto, including the filing date and serial number of each application, the status thereof, and, if any application was finally refused registration or has otherwise not resulted in a registration, the reasons for the refusal or result.

(c) The secretary may also require that a drawing of the mark, complying with requirements specified by the secretary, accompany the application.

(d) The application shall include a declaration of accuracy signed by the applicant, by a member of the firm or an officer of the corporation or association making application, or by a general partner of the partnership making application. If the person signing the declaration willfully states as true in the declaration a material fact that he or she knows to be false, he or she shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000). An action for that penalty may be brought by a public prosecutor. The person signing the declaration shall be informed of this penalty in writing.

(e) The application shall be accompanied by three specimens showing the mark as actually used.

(f) The application shall be accompanied by the application fee payable to the secretary as set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 12193 of the Government Code.

(g) If the mark or any part of the mark is in any language other than English, the application shall be accompanied by a certified translation in English.

(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 179, Sec. 20. Effective January 1, 2009.)

14209. (a) Upon the filing of an application for registration and payment of the application fee, the secretary may cause the application to be examined for conformity with this chapter.

(b) The applicant shall provide any additional pertinent information requested by the secretary, including a description of a design mark, and may make, or authorize the secretary to make, amendments to the application as may be reasonably requested by the secretary or deemed by the applicant to be advisable in order to respond to any rejection or objection.

(c) The secretary may require the applicant to disclaim an unregisterable component of an otherwise registerable mark, and an applicant may voluntarily disclaim a component of a mark sought to be registered. No disclaimer shall prejudice or affect the applicant’s or registrant’s rights, then existing or thereafter arising, in the disclaimed matter, or the applicant’s or registrant’s rights of registration on another application if the disclaimed matter is or has become distinctive of the applicant’s or registrant’s goods or services.

(d) The secretary may make amendments to the application submitted by the applicant upon the applicant’s agreement, or may require the submission of a new application.

(e) If an applicant is found not to be entitled to registration, the secretary shall so advise the applicant and shall advise the applicant of the reasons. The applicant shall have a reasonable period of time specified by the secretary in which to reply or to amend the application, in which event the application shall be reexamined. This procedure may be repeated until the secretary finally refuses registration of the mark or the applicant fails to reply or amend within the specified period, whereupon the application shall be deemed to have been abandoned.

(f) If the secretary finally refuses registration of the mark, the applicant may seek a writ of mandamus to compel registration. A writ may be granted, but without costs to the secretary, on proof that all statements in the application are true and that the mark is otherwise entitled to registration.

(g) In the instance of applications concurrently being processed by the secretary seeking registration of the same or confusingly similar marks for the same or related goods or services, the secretary shall grant priority to the applications in the order of filing. If a prior-filed application is granted a registration, the other application or applications shall then be rejected. Any rejected applicant may bring an action for cancellation of the registration upon grounds of prior or superior rights to the mark, in accordance with the provisions of Section 14230.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

ARTICLE 3. Certificate of Registration [14215 - 14217] (Article 3 added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2.)

14215. (a) Upon compliance by the applicant with the requirements of this chapter, the secretary shall cause a certificate of registration to be issued and delivered to the applicant. The certificate of registration shall be issued under the signature of the secretary and the seal of the state, and shall show the following information:

(1) The name and business address and, if a corporation, the state of incorporation, or if a partnership, the state in which the partnership is organized and the names of the general partners, as specified by the secretary, of the person claiming ownership of the mark.

(2) The date claimed for the first use of the mark anywhere and the date claimed for the first use of the mark in this state.

(3) The class of goods or services and a description of the goods or services on or in connection with which the mark is used.

(4) A reproduction of the mark.

(5) The registration date and the term of the registration of the mark.

(b) Any certificate of registration issued by the secretary under the provisions of this chapter or a copy thereof duly certified by the secretary shall be admissible in evidence as competent and sufficient proof of the registration of the mark in any action or judicial proceeding in any court of this state.

(Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

14217. (a) A registration of mark pursuant to this chapter shall be effective for a term of five years from the date of registration and, upon application filed within six months prior to the expiration of the term, in a manner complying with the requirements of the secretary, the registration may be renewed for a like term from the end of the expiring term. A renewal fee, payable to the secretary, shall accompany the application for renewal of the registration as set forth in subdivision (c) of Section 12193 of the Government Code.

(b) A registration may be renewed for successive periods of five years in like manner.

(c) Any registration in force on January 1, 2008, shall continue in full force and effect for the unexpired term thereof, and may be renewed by filing an application for renewal with the secretary that complies with the requirements of the secretary and payment of the renewal fee within the six months prior to the expiration of the registration.

(d) All applications for renewal under this chapter, whether of registrations made under this chapter or of registrations effected under any prior act, shall include a verified statement that the mark has been and is still in use and shall include a specimen showing actual use of the mark on, or in connection with, the goods or services with which the mark is associated.

(Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

ARTICLE 4. Assignments, Changes of Name, and Other Instruments [14220- 14220.] (Article 4 added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2.)

14220. (a) Any mark and its registration hereunder shall be assignable with the good will of the business in which the mark is used, or with that part of the good will of the business connected with the use of and symbolized by the mark. Assignment shall be by instrument in writing duly executed and may be recorded with the secretary upon the payment of the recording fee payable to the secretary as set forth in subdivision (b) of Section 12193 of the Government Code, who, upon recording of the assignment, shall issue in the name of the assignee a new certificate for the remainder of the term of the registration or of the last renewal thereof. An assignment of any registration under this chapter shall be void as against any subsequent purchaser for valuable consideration without notice, unless it is recorded with the secretary within three months after the date thereof or prior to the subsequent purchase.

(b) Any registrant or applicant effecting a change of the name of the person to whom the mark was issued or for whom an application was filed may, on a form prescribed by the secretary, record a certificate of change of name of the registrant or applicant with the secretary upon the payment of the recording fee. The secretary may issue in the name of the assignee a certificate of registration of an assigned application or a new certificate or registration for the remainder of the term of the registration or last renewal thereof.

(c) Other instruments that relate to a mark registered or application pending pursuant to this chapter, including, but not limited to, licenses, may be recorded at the discretion of the secretary, provided that the instrument is in writing and is duly executed.

(d) Acknowledgment shall be prima facie evidence of the execution of an assignment or other instrument and, when recorded by the secretary, the record shall be prima facie evidence of the execution of an assignment.

(e) A photocopy of any instrument referred to in subdivision (a), (b), or (c) shall be accepted for recording if it is certified by any of the parties thereto, or their successors, to be a true and correct copy of the original.

(f) Neither this chapter nor the recordal of any instrument received by the secretary pursuant to this chapter shall have any effect, including, but not limited to, any effect relating to attachment, perfection, priority, or enforcement, on any security interest governed by Division 9 (commencing with Section 9101) of the Uniform Commercial Code.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

ARTICLE 5. Records [14225- 14225.] (Article 5 added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2.)

14225. The secretary shall keep for public examination a record of all marks registered or renewed under this chapter, as well as a record of all documents recorded pursuant to Section 14220.

(Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

ARTICLE 6. Cancellation [14230- 14230.] (Article 6 added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2.)

14230. The secretary shall cancel from the register, in whole or in part, any of the following:

(a) Any registration concerning which the secretary receives a voluntary request for cancellation from the registrant or the assignee of record.

(b) All registrations granted under this chapter and not renewed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

(c) Any registration concerning a mark with regard to which a court of competent jurisdiction finds any of the following:

(1) The registered mark has been abandoned.

(2) The registrant is not the owner of the mark.

(3) The registration was granted improperly.

(4) The registration was obtained fraudulently.

(5) The mark is or has become the generic name for the goods or services, or a portion thereof, for which it has been registered.

(6) The registered mark is so similar to a mark registered by another person in the United States Patent and Trademark Office prior to the date of the filing of the application for registration by the registrant hereunder, and not abandoned, as to be likely to cause confusion or mistake, or to deceive. However, should the registrant prove that the registrant is the owner of a concurrent registration of a mark in the United States Patent and Trademark Office covering an area including this state, the registration hereunder shall not be canceled for that area of the state.

(d) Cancellation of a registration ordered on any ground by a court of competent jurisdiction.

(e) Any registration or renewal if a check or other remittance accepted in payment of the filing fee is not paid upon presentation. The secretary shall give written notice of the applicability of this subdivision to the registrant. Thereafter, 30 days shall be allowed from the date of the notification letter for payment by cashier’s check or the equivalent.

(f) Within six months of the date of registration, any registration issued in error by the secretary that violates the requirements of subdivision (f) of Section 14205.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

ARTICLE 7. Classification [14235- 14235.] (Article 7 added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2.)

14235. The classification of goods and services shall conform to the classifications adopted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. A single application for registration of a mark may include any or all goods upon which, or services with which, the mark is actually being used indicating the appropriate class or classes of goods or services. When a single application includes goods or services that fall within multiple classes, the secretary may require payment of a fee for each class.

(Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

ARTICLE 8. Fraudulent Registration [14240- 14240.] (Article 8 added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2.)

14240. Any person who, either for himself or herself or on behalf of another person, procures the filing or registration of any mark pursuant to this chapter by knowingly making any false or fraudulent representation or declaration, either orally or in writing, or by any other fraudulent means shall be liable to pay all damages sustained as a consequence of the filing or registration, to be recovered by or on behalf of the party injured thereby in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

ARTICLE 9. Violations [14245 - 14259] (Article 9 added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2.)

14245. (a) A person who does any of the following shall be subject to a civil action by the owner of the registered mark, and the remedies provided in Section 14250:

(1) Uses, without the consent of the registrant, any reproduction, counterfeit, copy, or colorable imitation of a mark registered under this chapter in connection with the sale, distribution, offering for sale, or advertising of goods or services on or in connection with which the use is likely to cause confusion or mistake, or to deceive as to the source of origin of the goods or services.

(2) Reproduces, counterfeits, copies, or colorably imitates the mark and applies the reproduction, counterfeit, copy, or colorable imitation to labels, signs, prints, packages, wrappers, receptacles, or advertisements intended to be used upon or in connection with the sale or other distribution in this state of goods or services. The registrant shall not be entitled under this paragraph to recover profits or damages unless the acts have been committed with knowledge that the mark is intended to be used to cause confusion or mistake, or to deceive.

(3) Knowingly facilitate, enable, or otherwise assist a person to manufacture, use, distribute, display, or sell goods or services bearing a reproduction, counterfeit, copy, or colorable imitation of a mark registered under this chapter, without the consent of the registrant. An action by a person is presumed to have been taken knowingly following delivery to that person by personal delivery, courier, or certified mail return receipt requested, of a written demand to cease and desist that is accompanied by all of the following:

(A) A copy of the certificate of registration and of a claimed reproduction, counterfeit, copy, or colorable imitation of the registered mark.

(B) A statement, made under penalty of perjury, by the owner of the registered mark, by an officer of the corporation that owns the registered mark, or by legal counsel for the owner of the registered mark, that includes all of the following:

(i) The name or description of the infringer.

(ii) The product or service and mark being or to be infringed.

(iii) The dates of the infringement.

(iv) Other reasonable information to assist the recipient to identify the infringer.

(4) The presumption created by paragraph (3) does not affect the owner’s burden of showing that there was a violation of this chapter.

(5) Paragraph (3) is applicable to a landlord or property owner who provides, rents, leases, or licenses the use of real property where goods or services bearing a reproduction, counterfeit, copy, or colorable imitation of a mark registered pursuant to this chapter are sold, offered for sale, or advertised, where the landlord or property owner had control of the property and knew, or had reason to know, of the infringing activity.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the remedies given to the owner of the right infringed pursuant to this section are limited as follows:

(1) If an infringer or violator is engaged solely in the business of printing the mark or violating matter for others and establishes that he or she was an innocent infringer or innocent violator, the owner of the right infringed is entitled only to an injunction against future printing of the mark by the innocent infringer or innocent violator.

(2) If the infringement complained of is contained in, or is part of, paid advertising matter in a newspaper, magazine, or other similar periodical, or in an electronic communication as defined in subsection (12) of Section 2510 of Title 18 of the United States Code, the remedies of the owner of the right infringed against the publisher or distributor of the newspaper, magazine, or other similar periodical or electronic communication shall be confined to an injunction against the presentation of the advertising matter in future issues of the newspapers, magazines, or other similar periodicals or in further transmissions of the electronic communication. The limitation of this subdivision shall apply only to innocent infringers and innocent violators.

(3) Injunctive relief is not available to the owner of the right infringed with respect to an issue of a newspaper, magazine, or other similar periodical or electronic communication containing infringing matter if restraining the dissemination of the infringing matter in a particular issue of the periodical or in an electronic communication would delay the delivery of the issue or transmission of the electronic communication after the regular time for delivery and the delay would be due to the method by which publication and distribution of the periodical or transmission of the electronic communication is customarily conducted in accordance with sound business practice, and not to a method or device adopted for the evasion of this section or to prevent or delay the issuance of an injunction or restraining order with respect to the infringing matter.

(c) An innocent infringer or innocent violator is a person whose acts were committed without knowledge that the mark was intended to be used to cause confusion, mistake, or to deceive.

(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 179, Sec. 21. Effective January 1, 2009.)

14247. (a) Subject to the principles of equity, an owner of a mark that is famous and distinctive, whether inherently or through acquired distinctiveness, shall be entitled to an injunction against another person’s commercial use of a mark or trade name, if such use begins after the mark has become famous and is likely to cause dilution of the famous mark, and to obtain such other relief as is provided in this section. For purposes of this subdivision, a mark is famous if it is widely recognized by the general consuming public of this state, or by a geographic area of this state, as a designation of source of the goods or services of the mark’s owner. In determining whether a mark is famous, a court may consider factors including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(1) The duration, extent, and geographic reach of advertising and publicity of the mark in this state, whether advertised or publicized by the owner or third parties.

(2) The amount, volume, and geographic extent of sales in this state of goods or services offered under the mark.

(3) The extent of actual recognition of the mark in this state.

(4) Whether the mark is the subject of a state registration in this state, or a federal registration under the Act of March 3, 1881, or under the Act of February 20, 1905, or on the principal register under the Trademark Act of 1946 (15 U.S.C. Sec. 1051 et seq.), as amended.

(b) In an action brought under this section, the owner of a famous mark shall be entitled to injunctive relief throughout the geographic area in which the mark is found to have become famous prior to commencement of the junior use, but not beyond the borders of this state. If the person against whom injunctive relief is sought willfully intended to cause dilution of the famous mark, the owner shall also be entitled to the remedies set forth in Section 14250, subject to the discretion of the court and the principles of equity. The following shall not be actionable under this section:

(1) Any fair use, including a nominative or descriptive fair use, or facilitation of such fair use, of a famous mark by another person other than as a designation of source for the person’s own goods or services, including use in connection with either of the following:

(A) Advertising or promotion that permits consumers to compare goods or services.

(B) Identifying and parodying, criticizing, or commenting upon the famous mark owner or the goods or services of the famous mark owner.

(2) Noncommercial use of the mark.

(3) All forms of news reporting and news commentary.

(Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

14250. (a) Any owner of a mark registered under this chapter may proceed by suit to enjoin the manufacture, use, display, or sale of any counterfeits thereof and any court of competent jurisdiction may grant injunctions to restrain the manufacture, use, display, or sale as may be deemed just and reasonable, and shall require the defendants to pay to the owner up to three times their profits from, and up to three times all damages suffered by reason of, the wrongful manufacture, use, display, or sale. If, in any action brought under this section, the court determines that any goods in the possession of or services offered by a defendant bear or consist of a counterfeit mark, the court shall order the destruction of any goods, labels, packaging or any components bearing the counterfeit mark and all instrumentalities used in the production of the counterfeit goods, including, but not limited to, any items, objects, tools, machines or equipment or, after obliteration of the counterfeit mark, the court may dispose of those materials by ordering their transfer to the state, a civil claimant, an eleemosynary institution, or any appropriate private person other than the person from whom the materials were obtained.

(b) The court, upon motion or ex parte application by a plaintiff in a suit to enjoin the manufacture, use, display, or sale of counterfeits, may order seizure of any goods, labels, packaging or any components bearing the counterfeit mark and all instrumentalities used in the production of the counterfeit goods, including, but not limited to, any items, objects, tools, machines or equipment from persons manufacturing, displaying for sale, or selling the goods, upon a showing of good cause and a probability of success on the merits and upon the posting of an undertaking pursuant to subdivision (e). If it appears from the ex parte application that there is good reason for proceeding without notification to the defendant, the court may, for good cause shown, waive the requirement of notice for the ex parte proceeding. The order of seizure shall specifically set forth all of the following:

(1) The date or dates on which the seizure is ordered to take place.

(2) A description of the counterfeit goods to be seized.

(3) The identity of the persons or class of persons to effect seizure.

(4) A description of the location or locations at which seizure is to occur.

(5) A hearing date not more than 10 court days after the last date on which seizure is ordered at which any person from whom goods are seized may appear and seek release of the seized goods. Any person from whom seizure is effected shall be served with the order at the time of seizure.

(c) Any person who causes seizure of goods that are not counterfeit shall be liable in an amount equal to the following:

(1) Any damages proximately caused to any person having a financial interest in the seized goods by the seizure of goods that are not counterfeit.

(2) Costs incurred in defending against seizure of noncounterfeit goods.

(3) Upon a showing that the person causing the seizure to occur acted in bad faith, expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees expended in defending against the seizure of any noncounterfeit or noninfringing goods.

(4) Punitive damages, if warranted.

(d) A person entitled to recover pursuant to subdivision (c) may seek a recovery by cross-claim or motion made in the trial court and served pursuant to Section 1011 of the Code of Civil Procedure. A person seeking a recovery pursuant to this section may join any surety on an undertaking posted pursuant to subdivision (b), and any judgment of liability shall bind the person liable pursuant to subdivision (c) and the surety jointly and severally, but the liability of the surety shall be limited to the amount of the undertaking.

(e) The court shall set the amount of the undertaking required by subdivision (b) in accordance with the probable recovery of damages, costs, and expenses under subdivision (c) if it were ultimately determined that the goods seized were not counterfeit.

(f) Any person entitled to recover under subdivision (c) may, within 30 days after the date of seizure, object to the undertaking on the grounds that the surety or the amount of undertaking is insufficient.

(g) The motion or application filed pursuant to subdivision (b) shall include a statement advising the person from whom the goods are seized that the undertaking has been filed, informing him or her of his or her right to object to the undertaking on the grounds that the surety or the amount of the undertaking is insufficient, and advising the person from whom the goods are seized that an objection to the undertaking must be made within 30 days after the date of seizure.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

14252. The enumeration of any right or remedy herein shall not affect a registrant’s right to prosecute under any penal law of this state, including, but not limited to, Section 350 of the Penal Code.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

14254. (a) Actions to require cancellation of a mark registered pursuant to this chapter or in mandamus to compel registration of a mark pursuant to this chapter shall be brought in the superior court.

(b) In an action in mandamus, the proceeding shall be based solely upon the record before the secretary. In an action for cancellation, the secretary shall not be made a party to the proceeding, but shall be notified of the filing of the complaint by the clerk of the court in which it is filed and shall be given the right to intervene in the action.

(c) In any action brought against a nonresident registrant, service may be effected upon the secretary as agent for service of the registrant in accordance with the procedures established for service upon nonresident corporations and business entities under Sections 416.10 to 416.40, inclusive, of the Code of Civil Procedure, and Sections 2110, 2111, and 2114 of the Corporations Code.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

14259. Nothing herein shall adversely affect the rights or the enforcement of rights in marks acquired in good faith at any time within common law.

(Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

ARTICLE 10. Fees [14260- 14260.] (Article 10 added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2.)

14260. Unless specified by the secretary, the fees payable herein are not refundable.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

ARTICLE 11. Severability [14265- 14265.] (Article 11 added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2.)

14265. If any provision of this chapter, or the application of such provision to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of this chapter shall not be affected thereby.

(Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

ARTICLE 12. Miscellaneous [14270 - 14272] (Article 12 added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2.)

14270. This chapter shall not affect any suit, proceeding, or appeal pending on January 1, 2008.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)

14272. The intent of this chapter is to provide a system of state trademark registration and protection substantially consistent with the federal system of trademark registration and protection under the Trademark Act of 1946 (15 U.S.C. Sec. 1051 et seq.), as amended. To that end, the construction given the federal act should be examined as nonbinding authority for interpreting and construing this chapter.

(Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 711, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)