White v. Samsung Electronics America, Inc.

Samsung (defendant) ran an ad depicting a robot in a dress and pearls turning letter tiles on a game show, evoking Vanna White (plaintiff) from Wheel of Fortune without naming or picturing her; Samsung never sought her permission. White sued under California's common-law right of publicity; the district court granted Samsung summary judgment, finding no appropriation of her name or likeness, and White appealed.

Whether the common-law right of publicity protects a celebrity's identity from unauthorized commercial exploitation even when the defendant does not use the celebrity's actual name or literal likeness.