- Music
- 20 May 16
The new law was proposed in the wake of the musician's death.
A "Right to Publicise" law put before the Minnesota state to protect artists' image and likeness rights has been put to the side by its creator. Republican Party Representative Joe Hoppe pulled the bill as he was concerned it may have "unintended consequences" in its current form.
The Personal Rights In Names Can Endure, or PRINCE, Act was proposed in to order to prevent unlicensed profiteering from an artist be they living or dead. Representative Hoppe created the legislation after spotting people and businesses selling unlicensed Price merchandise in the late Purple One's home state of Minnesota.
Prince died at his home in Paisley Park last month aged 57. There is currently a large number of families, friends and other parties wrangling over control of his estate as he left no will.
The bill was met with some controversy as it was argued that the bill would impede on creators', namely writers, artists and street vendors, First Amendment Rights. Lawyers for Prince's estate publicly supported the bill. Hoppe is planning to redraft the bill and bringing it back before the State in 2017.