Goldman Family Wants OJ's Image

The family of Ron Goldman won a huge judgement against OJ Simpson nearly 10 years ago, but thanks to laws in California and Florida which protect OJ's NFL pension and his home, he hasn't paid a dime. Yesterday the Goldman's decided to try a new legal strategy - asking the court to give them the rights to OJ's likeness and name:

Goldman continues to believe Simpson killed his son and said it would be "poetic justice" to take away the fame Goldman believes helped the football star prevail in the criminal case.

Simpson has avoided paying the civil judgment because his National Football League pension and his Florida home cannot legally be seized. However, Goldman's petition contends Simpson has continued to earn money through appearances and autograph signings.

Goldman said he wants to take from Simpson "what we perceive is probably the most important thing to him, and that's his ego, and that's the opportunity to use his name and likeness to earn money."

Yale Galanter, Simpson's attorney, said he would review the petition but had not found any legal precedent that gives a court the authority to take publicity rights.
He also denied that Simpson had avoided paying the lawsuit award.

"It's not a question of intentionally trying to avoid anything," he said. "O.J.'s life is very simply an open book. There is no money."

He estimated that Simpson makes only a few thousand dollars from autograph-signing sessions.

Goldman said he did not know how much Simpson's publicity rights might be worth or what he would do with them if he obtained them.

While publicity rights have been sold or transferred, the petition to forcibly take them to satisfy a lawsuit award is an untried legal maneuver, said Karl Manders, owner of Continental Enterprises, an Indianapolis-based company that designs and implements intellectual property protection programs. Manders said he suggested the idea to Goldman.

It's an innovative approach, but I'm not sure they'll be able to find a court that will grant it. Simpson's pension is sizeable, and if he gets a ruling against him in this case, my guess is he would stop doing autograph shows just to spite the Goldmans.