Do light projections infringe property rights?

Interesting law review article just out on light projections and property rights. Given the increasing number of artists and political protesters using this format of expression, this is a timely and important issue to discuss. University of Virginia Law Professor , Maureen Brady, writes:

In cities across the country, artists, protestors, and businesses are using light projections to turn any building’s façade into a billboard, often without the owner’s consent. Examples are legion: “Believe Women” on a New York City Best Buy; a scantily clad male model on the side of an apartment building; a nativity scene on the Los Angeles chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Two courts have considered claims by owners seeking to stop these projections under theories of trespass and nuisance. In each case, the courts held that because light is intangible and the projections result in no economic harm to the property, the common law affords no relief.

This Article argues that property law can and should address projection claims by private owners.

Article available here.

Tags: art, artlaw, light projections, maureen brady, nuisance, private property, projections, Property