Vanna White is the hostess of Wheel of Fortune, one of the most popular game shows in television history. Capitalizing on the fame that her participation in the show has bestowed on her, Ms. White markets her identity to various advertisers.
Samsung Electronics ran a series of ads in at least six publications with widespread, and in some cases national, circulation. Each of the advertisements in the series followed the same theme: Each depicted a cur- rent item from popular culture and a Samsung elec- tronic product. Each was set in the twenty-first century and conveyed the message that the Samsung product would still be in use at that future time.
The advertisement that prompted a dispute was for Samsung video cassette recorders (VCRs). The ad de- picted a robot dressed in a wig, gown, and jewelry that was consciously selected to resemble Ms. White's hair and dresses. The robot was posed next to a game board instantly recognizable as the Wheel of Fortune game show set in a stance for which Ms. White is famous.
The caption of the ad read: "Longest-running game show. 2012 A.D." Samsung executives referred to the ad as the "Vanna White ad." Unlike the other celebrities used in the campaign, Ms. White neither consented to the ads nor was paid. Have Ms. White's rights been violated? Did Samsung violate federal law? [White v. Samsung Elect. Am., Inc., 971 F.2d 1395 (9th Cir. 1992)]