Monetizing Identity: The Legal Protection of Athletes’ Image Rights in a Global Market
The increasing commercialization of sports has essentially transformed athletes into assets or marketable commodities, raising serious legal concerns about the protection and enforcement of their image rights. Concerns regarding unauthorized commercial exploitation are raised by the growing dependence of athletes' financial portfolios on sponsorships and endorsements. Do we need a more thorough legal structure, or are athletes adequately shielded from unauthorized use of their name, image, and likeness by the existing frameworks for intellectual property and personality rights? This essay examines the legal basis of image rights, the role of intellectual property laws in different jurisdictions, and key case precedents such as Sourav Ganguly v. Tata Tea Ltd and PV Sindhu's action against prohibited brand associations.
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