KARLOFF PHOTO DISPUTE SETTLED; NO TEST CASE FORTHCOMING
The post-mortem celebrity rights case over pictures of late horror
film star Boris Karloff will not become a test case after all, as
the lawsuit brought by the actor's daughter, Sarah Karloff, has
settled. She had sued Universal Studios for more than $10 million in
February, claiming the studio wrongly licensed images of her father
to third parties for advertisements and merchandise. Before his
death in 1969, Karloff starred in 170 films, including Frankenstein
and The Mummy. Last month, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge made a
ruling in favor of Karloff that, if appealed, would likely have set
a precedent in litigation where families fight to control the images
of their famous and deceased loved ones. But on Dec. 15, eight days
after the key decision, the two sides reached a confidential
settlement. The judge ordered the reporter's transcripts of the
settlement talks sealed, according to the court file. Calls left for
Karloff's and Universal's attorneys Wednesday were not returned.