Model wins huge Nestle jar payout

(BBC) A US jury has ordered food giant Nestle to pay $15.6m (£8.3m) to a former model whose image was used for years without his permission on coffee jar labels.
Russell Christoff, 58, from California, came across his likeness on a Taster's Choice jar while out shopping in 2002.

A Los Angeles court heard he had posed for a two-hour photo shoot for Nestle in 1986 but had heard nothing since.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4226255.stm

Yes, I read this item this morning. It's quite a breathtaking judgment, even though eventual settlement will likely be for 10%-20% of this amount. Gotta love those California court press releases!

I used to think those talent releases were for the paranoid, but we got really burned on our last project. One of the actors turned out to be a total dick and we've had to edit him out entirely. Not that hard, as he only had one line, but still kind of hassle. Especially since we had music playing over the whole scene. Yet another reason I don't like working with people we don't have a history with.