Who owns @JamesDean? At the moment, it's a fan account, tweeting out inspirational quotes and pictures, but according to a new piece in The Hollywood Reporter, the estate of the late actor is leading a campaign to shut down the account, taking Twitter all the way to federal court. The estate wants to convert @JamesDean to an official account, similar to the estate-run Facebook page, but so far, Twitter isn't budging.
The firm behind the complaint is CMG, a celebrity marketing firm built on protecting likeness rights for classic celebrities like Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. In the official complaint, the firm alleges that Twitter has damaged the James Dean estate by allowing the fan account to persist. The complaint also points to Twitter's own policy on fan accounts, which requires that account names not take the exact name of the subject. Still, it's unclear how far that reasoning will take them in court, and by all indications, Twitter's not giving up the legal issue without a fight.