thedrifter
01-23-07, 10:27 AM
Bill would need OK for military images in ads
By Doug Gross - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jan 23, 2007 7:05:58 EST
ATLANTA — The name or image of a member of the armed forces could no longer be used in advertisements without the permission of the service member, under a bill introduced in the Georgia legislature.
Sen. Cecil Staton, R-Macon, said the legislation is meant to stamp out a trend of ads seeking to tie a product or cause with military members — sometimes after their deaths.
“There have just been some examples in the past year or so, with the war in Iraq, where some organizations or groups have utilized photographs of service men, sometimes after they’ve been killed in Iraq, without securing permission,” Staton said.
Staton, vice chairman of the Senate’s Veterans and Military Affairs committee, did not cite any specific advertisements he’s seen, but said he knows of photos used “in ways that I think are not particularly sensitive to the families and the sacrifices our soldiers have made for our country.”
The bill would bar businesses from using “the name, portrait, or picture of any service member of the armed forces of the United States” without the consent of that service member or his or her family.
Anyone violating the law would be guilty of a misdemeanor.
It would apply to both active duty military members and former members.
Kathleen Moakler, deputy director of the Alexandria, Va.-based National Military Family Association, said her group supports protecting the images of troops.
“Our stand has always been that it’s up to the family to determine,” Moakler said. “We are great believers in the privacy of the family to their own image and likeness and the images and likeness of their deceased service members.”
For example, she said that during the controversy early in the Iraq war over images of flag-draped caskets, the association rejected both outright bans or allowing the images in all instances — saying families should decide on a case-by-case basis whether the photos should be allowed.
Staton said he hoped to target commercial use of the names and images, as well as advocacy, where groups use them to forward a political cause. But the bill’s language seems to specifically address business advertisements.
The bill is signed by both Republicans, who hold a majority in the state Senate, and Democrats.
Ellie
By Doug Gross - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jan 23, 2007 7:05:58 EST
ATLANTA — The name or image of a member of the armed forces could no longer be used in advertisements without the permission of the service member, under a bill introduced in the Georgia legislature.
Sen. Cecil Staton, R-Macon, said the legislation is meant to stamp out a trend of ads seeking to tie a product or cause with military members — sometimes after their deaths.
“There have just been some examples in the past year or so, with the war in Iraq, where some organizations or groups have utilized photographs of service men, sometimes after they’ve been killed in Iraq, without securing permission,” Staton said.
Staton, vice chairman of the Senate’s Veterans and Military Affairs committee, did not cite any specific advertisements he’s seen, but said he knows of photos used “in ways that I think are not particularly sensitive to the families and the sacrifices our soldiers have made for our country.”
The bill would bar businesses from using “the name, portrait, or picture of any service member of the armed forces of the United States” without the consent of that service member or his or her family.
Anyone violating the law would be guilty of a misdemeanor.
It would apply to both active duty military members and former members.
Kathleen Moakler, deputy director of the Alexandria, Va.-based National Military Family Association, said her group supports protecting the images of troops.
“Our stand has always been that it’s up to the family to determine,” Moakler said. “We are great believers in the privacy of the family to their own image and likeness and the images and likeness of their deceased service members.”
For example, she said that during the controversy early in the Iraq war over images of flag-draped caskets, the association rejected both outright bans or allowing the images in all instances — saying families should decide on a case-by-case basis whether the photos should be allowed.
Staton said he hoped to target commercial use of the names and images, as well as advocacy, where groups use them to forward a political cause. But the bill’s language seems to specifically address business advertisements.
The bill is signed by both Republicans, who hold a majority in the state Senate, and Democrats.
Ellie