4 September 2008 9:02 AM, PDT | From wenn.com | See recent WENN news
The estate of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe has lost its battle for licensing rights to an iconic set of photos of the star.
Photographer Sam Shaw captured the memorable Monroe photos, which include the infamous image of the actress standing over a New York subway grate as her white dress billows around her waist, in 1955.
The dispute between the late photographer's family and the conservators of Monroe's estate was settled by a Manhattan federal judge on Tuesday, who determined the bosses of Shaw Family Archives Ltd. would have approval of all of the images sold and get a cut of the proceeds.
According to Judge Colleen McMahon, because Monroe died a New Yorker, the Shaw Family Archives benefits from state laws that prevent anyone from licensing the rights to dead celebrities.
The ruling overturns a suit filed by Monroe's estate manager Anna Strasberg, widow of her acting coach Lee Strasberg, who sued Shaw's heirs for selling T-shirts emblazoned with their copyrighted pictures of the star.
Shaw family lawyer David Marcus says: "They (Monroe's estate) don't own the rights to publicise (Monroe), and the family business can move forward."
But Monroe estate lawyer Martin Pollner disagrees. He says: "Without this protection, irresponsible opportunists can continue to exploit the names and reputations of deceased New York celebrities for their personal gain."
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