In Lugosi v. Universal Pictures, 603 P.2d 425 (Cal. 1979), the heirs of Béla Lugosi sued Universal Studios in 1966 for using his personality rights without the heirs' permission. The court ruled in favor of the Lugosi heirs, but Universal Studios won the case in an appeal to the California Supreme Court, where it was determined that a dead person had no right to his likeness, and any rights that existed did not pass to his heirs.
Read more about Lugosi V. Universal Pictures: History, Ruling, Aftermath
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