An image of Canadian actor Ryan Gosling has been removed from a fundraising message sent to supporters of the Ontario Progressive Conservatives.
A GIF of Gosling saying "don't go" from the film Gangster Squad appeared on the PC's website when those who received the message responded "no" to the question "Do you still support Doug Ford?" or tried to unsubscribe from the party newsletter.
It's not known why the image was quietly taken down, and the PCs have yet to comment on the matter, but experts told the Canadian Press that it could present copyright issues.
"Ryan Gosling and his representation would presumably not be happy to be used in this manner," McGill University law professor Allen Mendelsohn said.
In addition to violating copyrights of the film that the GIF was lifted from, the use of the GIF could also violate Gosling's rights to use of his own likeness.
While Canadian copyright law allows for likenesses to be used for purposes like parody and satire, the fact that the Gosling GIF was used in relation to fundraising campaigns for the provincial government makes it unlikely that its use would qualify under "fair dealings."
See a screenshot of the PCs' use of the GIF here via the Toronto Star.
A GIF of Gosling saying "don't go" from the film Gangster Squad appeared on the PC's website when those who received the message responded "no" to the question "Do you still support Doug Ford?" or tried to unsubscribe from the party newsletter.
It's not known why the image was quietly taken down, and the PCs have yet to comment on the matter, but experts told the Canadian Press that it could present copyright issues.
"Ryan Gosling and his representation would presumably not be happy to be used in this manner," McGill University law professor Allen Mendelsohn said.
In addition to violating copyrights of the film that the GIF was lifted from, the use of the GIF could also violate Gosling's rights to use of his own likeness.
While Canadian copyright law allows for likenesses to be used for purposes like parody and satire, the fact that the Gosling GIF was used in relation to fundraising campaigns for the provincial government makes it unlikely that its use would qualify under "fair dealings."
See a screenshot of the PCs' use of the GIF here via the Toronto Star.