The Yale Law Journal

Jonathan G. Blattmachr

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Postmortem Rights of Publicity: The Federal Estate Tax Consequences of New State-Law Property Rights

Mitchell M. Gans, Bridget J. Crawford & Jonathan G. Blattmachr

California recently passed legislation that creates retroactive, descendible rights of publicity. The New York State Assembly is poised to enact similar legislation. Legal recognition of postmortem rights of publicity permits a decedent’s named beneficiaries or heirs to control (and financially be…