The tort involving using someone's identity for commercial advantage is which?

The tort involving using someone's identity for commercial advantage is which?

• A. Defamation
• B. Appropriation of another's name or likeness
• C. Invasion of privacy
• D. Trespass

Answer: (B)

Using someone’s identity for commercial advantage is about misappropriation of name or likeness. This tort protects a person’s commercial value in their identity—their name, image, or other recognizable attributes—from being used to benefit someone else financially without permission. It directly targets the act of exploiting someone’s identity for profit, which is different from making false statements (defamation), intruding on privacy or disclosing private facts (invasion of privacy), or unauthorized entry onto property (trespass). For example, using a famous person’s photo in an advertisement without consent to sell products fits this idea, because it monetizes that person’s identity without authorization.

Using someone’s identity for commercial advantage is about misappropriation of name or likeness. This tort protects a person’s commercial value in their identity—their name, image, or other recognizable attributes—from being used to benefit someone else financially without permission. It directly targets the act of exploiting someone’s identity for profit, which is different from making false statements (defamation), intruding on privacy or disclosing private facts (invasion of privacy), or unauthorized entry onto property (trespass). For example, using a famous person’s photo in an advertisement without consent to sell products fits this idea, because it monetizes that person’s identity without authorization.