LANSING - State Senator Mark Schauer (D-Battle Creek), along with Senator Hansen Clarke (D-Detroit), recently cosponsored bipartisan legislation to prohibit using an individual’s name, image, or identity to make profit without the individual’s permission. The bill resolves a controversy that erupted when fallen American soldiers were featured on materials for commercial gain despite their families’ objections.

"No one should be allowed to make a buck by exploiting the name and image of someone else, particularly someone who has fought and died for this country," said Schauer. "This measure will prevent greedy profiteers from taking advantage of people and protect the identities and reputations of private citizens."

Schauer became involved with this issue when his constituent, Vicki Dickinson, contacted him about her son’s name appearing on a t-shirt without her permission. Staff Sergeant Michael Dickinson was killed in Iraq in 2006 and an anti-war advocate was profiting from using his name on anti-war t-shirts, even though Dickinson and his family support the cause he was fighting for.

"My son served his country proudly and he would never have approved of a stunt like this," said Ms. Dickinson. "I appreciate the efforts these lawmakers are making to right this terrible wrong and make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else."

Dickinson went on to say, “It doesn’t make any difference what my son’s politics were, he believed in what he was doing and he gave his life to protect us and our rights. People have a right to not believe in the war, but he did believe in it and he was doing the job he chose to do.”

Ms. Dickinson can be reached at 269-209-7096.

The Senate legislation is SB 983 and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce and Tourism. Similar, bipartisan legislation - H.R. 260 - has been introduced in Congress, and several other states, including Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arizona, have already enacted laws pertaining to this issue.

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