Tokyo court dismisses suit against Meta over fake ads involving entrepreneur

What happened: The Tokyo District Court dismissed Yusaku Maezawa's lawsuit against Meta Platforms and its Japanese unit over fake ads that used his name and likeness without permission, denying both his injunction request and damages Why it matters: The judge found the ads infringed Maezawa's publicity rights but said Meta is merely a platform operator not directly involved in the posts. The ruling is believed to be the first on whether fake ads impersonating celebrities infringe their rights. Maezawa's lawyer called it "extremely disappointing" and said he is considering an appeal.

The Tokyo District Court dismissed Yusaku Maezawa's lawsuit against Meta Platforms and its Japanese unit over fake ads that used his name and likeness without permission, denying both his injunction request and damages

The judge found the ads infringed Maezawa's publicity rights but said Meta is merely a platform operator not directly involved in the posts. The ruling is believed to be the first on whether fake ads impersonating celebrities infringe their rights. Maezawa's lawyer called it "extremely disappointing" and said he is considering an appeal.