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Scarlett Johansson confuses fact and fiction

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       It what can only be interpreted as a rather desperate attempt to stir up publicity, Scarlett Johansson is apparently suing French publisher JC Lattès over a novel they recently published (La première chose qu'on regarde, by Grégoire Delacourt), in which a figure resembling (and mistaken for) her figures prominently (but is eventually revealed to be someone else).
       Despite extensive French coverage of this, the (legal) details remain somewhat murky -- and English-language coverage is ... well, so far relying on hastily translated and pieced together articles, where even the headlines apparently get it wrong (Scarlett Johansson sues author for using name in novel 'tribute' says The Independent, though it does appear it is (sensibly, despite Delacourt's recent commercial success) the deeper-pocketed publisher and not the author who is being sued). It's not even clear what jurisdiction she is suing in (one demand: no translations ...); I'm not sure how French law treats this sort of thing, but from the sound of it the novel should easily pass muster in the US (with, at worst, author and publisher forced to claim it's parody or satire).
       Given that the figure we recognize as 'Scarlett Johansson' -- from film, and from media coverage -- which is the 'identity' she surely wishes to protect, is an entirely artificial construct in the first place, the idea of her suing because she is (sort of) depicted in a work of fiction seems ludicrous in any case. (Though, of course, those that 'created' this 'Scarlett Johansson' we know have a much better case: the legal hurdles to using fictional creations (like James Bond or Mickey Mouse) in unapproved works of fiction remains much higher than using 'real' people -- but it's the copyright holders, not the fictional creations (like 'Scarlett Johansson') that have the standing to seek legal redress.

       In their foreign rights catalogue (warning ! dreaded pdf format !) Lattès translate the title as: 'The First Thing That People See' and begin their description of the work:
Grégoire Delacourt is back with an ultra-modern fable as ferocious as it is brilliant about the birth of love and the truth of souls.

On September 15th 2010 Arthur Dreyfuss, wearing a sleeveless T-shirt and Smurf underpants is watching an episode of The Sopranos when his doorbell rings. It is Scarlett Johansson. He is twenty years old and works in a garage as a mechanic. She is twenty-six and needs something repaired.
       See also the (French) publicity page, or get your copy from Amazon.com.

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