Name, Image & Likeness

Defending Your Identity in the Age of AI

Your Identity Has Value and It Needs Protection

As AI makes it possible to clone voices and replicate faces without consent, your name, image, and likeness have become both your most valuable asset and your most important legal priority.

The legal landscape for NIL rights is rapidly evolving, driven by the rise of generative AI, deepfakes, and synthetic media. Right of publicity laws, which govern how individuals can control the commercial use of their identity, vary dramatically by state, and federal law only applies in limited circumstances. What’s actionable in California may not be in another jurisdiction, making specialized counsel essential for anyone whose name, image, or voice has commercial value.

Van Lier Law brings deep expertise in NIL and identity rights. Our founder holds an LL.M. focused on innovation, technology and the law, has written on AI and its impact on performers, and was among the first wave of attorneys to write on deepfakes. She also played a direct role in developing the AI provisions in SAG-AFTRA’s landmark 2023 agreements, which now set the standard for how the industry treats performer likenesses. That’s not background. That’s front-line experience.

Who We Work With

We represent a range of clients across the creative economy:

Individual performers and creators seeking to protect their identities
Estates managing a deceased person's right of publicity
Businesses that need to ensure their NIL licensing and consent practices are legally sound and future-proofed against a rapidly changing legal landscape

What We Do

We offer comprehensive counsel on name, image, and likeness rights for individuals, estates, and businesses across the creative economy.

Right of Publicity

Every individual has a right to control how their name, image, voice, and likeness are used commercially, but the scope of that right varies significantly by state. We advise clients on where they stand, what protections apply, and how to enforce their rights when boundaries are crossed, including in the context of AI-generated and synthetic content that the law is only beginning to address.

Digital Replica & Deepfake Defense

Unauthorized digital replicas and AI-generated likenesses raise serious legal questions that courts and legislatures are still working through. Van Lier Law helps clients identify when their likeness has been used without authorization and understand their options under applicable state and emerging federal law. We also provide pre-litigation dispute support and guidance (note: we do not handle litigation directly).

Licensing & Agreements

Whether you're a performer granting consent, a brand licensing likeness rights, or a producer navigating AI provisions in a production agreement, getting the language right matters. We can draft and negotiate licensing agreements, consent forms, and contract provisions that reflect current law, industry standards, and the realities of what AI can now do so that what you sign actually protects you.

Posthumous & Estate Rights

The right of publicity doesn't always end at death. In many states, it survives and can be a significant estate asset. We can advise estates and successors on protecting and monetizing the likeness rights of deceased performers and public figures, including navigating the emerging and deeply unsettled landscape of AI-generated posthumous performances.

NIL Law Is More Complex Than It Looks

Right of publicity is protected by a patchwork of state laws. Some states provide robust protection while others provide almost none, and federal law is still catching up. Layered on top of that is the challenge of AI-generated content: traditional NIL frameworks weren't designed for a world where a synthetic voice or digital face can be produced without any physical participation by the actual person. Navigating these overlapping and often conflicting legal frameworks requires a specialist who has been in the weeds on these issues from the beginning.