Ding Zhen's personality rights case won! The defendant issued a written apology
Compiled from: Chao News, Red Star News
Case review
Recently, the Litang County People's Court publicly served a judgment to Wu Moumou in the case of Ding Zhen Zhenzhu suing Wu Moumou over personality rights (portrait rights, name rights, reputation rights) dispute.
The court ruled that the defendant, Wu Moumou, must publish a written apology statement pinned to the top of his Weibo account, apologizing to Dingzhen Zhenzhu for the infringement caused by the content he posted, and pay Dingzhen Zhenzhu a total of over 61,000 yuan in compensation for economic losses, moral damages, and reasonable expenses incurred in defending his rights.
In 2020, Ding Zhen, known as the "sweet and wild boy," became an internet sensation. He signed a contract to become an employee of Litang County Cultural Tourism and Sports Investment Development Co., Ltd., serving as a tourism ambassador for the local area. As Ding Zhen rose to fame, a group of anti-fans became active on major social media platforms, hunting for so-called "dirt" on Ding Zhen, especially regarding privacy topics, which were dug up by some netizens. Some netizens also launched personal attacks against Ding Zhen, maliciously photoshopping his images on social media platforms and posting mocking or even defamatory remarks.
The
[1] The People's Republic of China
Civil Code
Article 110 [Personality Rights of Civil Subjects]
Natural persons enjoy rights such as the right to life, bodily integrity, health, name, likeness, reputation, honor, privacy, and marital autonomy.
Legal persons and unincorporated organizations enjoy rights to name, reputation, and honor.
[1] The author's perspective
Celebrity rights protection is now commonplace, yet it remains highly necessary. Whether it is safeguarding one’s public image or fostering a sound environment for artistic creation and the rule of law, such efforts serve a positive guiding function. For celebrities, the ultimate goal of these lawsuits is not to obtain compensation, but to take a stand through legal means against infringing businesses and fans, thereby protecting their image. On the other hand, driven by the “fan economy,” many celebrities choose to sue infringers and anti-fans in court in order to avoid negative public opinion and retain their fan base.
