Woman Sues Over Use of Her School Photo on Novelty Flask

A New Mexico woman, Veronica Vigil, is suing the maker of novelty products over a flask that includes her likeness and the phrase “I’m going to be the most popular girl in rehab.”

The suit, which charges Taintor with defamation, invasion of privacy and unfair trade practices, seeks an unspecified amount of compensatory and punitive damages. In her complaint, Vigil says Anne Taintor Inc. obtained and used her high school graduation picture from 1970 without her permission and has defamed her by linking her image to a product that makes light of substance abuse, in direct conflict with the way Vigil lives her life.

Appropriation artists always ask me, “If I use an image of a woman from a long time ago [like 1970], what’s the likelihood that that woman will find out I’m using her image?” Well, I think we’ve answered that question.

Tags: appropriation, Chimayo, commercial use, Defamation, images, new mexico, photography, right of privacy, right of publicity, unfair trade practices