What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? TN
I worked for a communications company as a sales agent for over 5 years. I did a majority of my selling in my hometown where everybody knows me. I was fired and went to work for a competetor(I wasn't under any type of noncompete agreement) and starting selling the same service. About three months after I was fired, my old employer put up an advertising sign in my town with my name on it without my consent and the phone number that used to be mine, but now rings to a new sales rep for the company. When I was with the company we used to do advertising signs in the area with my name on them so everybody knew who I worked for and it definitely helped the business. So basically I was working for a new company trying to sell the same service, but my old company was advertising my name. It also embarrassed me because there was a few people that knew I got fired and thought the company was doing this to mess me up. Now i'm sure their defense would be that it was an accident, but they had to pay to have these signs put up. I believe they should have made sure my name wasn't on one. My question is, would I have a case here? Could I sue for Right of Privacy: Appropriation of name or likeness law since they used my name for advertising purposes? Thanks very much for the help!
I worked for a communications company as a sales agent for over 5 years. I did a majority of my selling in my hometown where everybody knows me. I was fired and went to work for a competetor(I wasn't under any type of noncompete agreement) and starting selling the same service. About three months after I was fired, my old employer put up an advertising sign in my town with my name on it without my consent and the phone number that used to be mine, but now rings to a new sales rep for the company. When I was with the company we used to do advertising signs in the area with my name on them so everybody knew who I worked for and it definitely helped the business. So basically I was working for a new company trying to sell the same service, but my old company was advertising my name. It also embarrassed me because there was a few people that knew I got fired and thought the company was doing this to mess me up. Now i'm sure their defense would be that it was an accident, but they had to pay to have these signs put up. I believe they should have made sure my name wasn't on one. My question is, would I have a case here? Could I sue for Right of Privacy: Appropriation of name or likeness law since they used my name for advertising purposes? Thanks very much for the help!