"Using my photo for advertising?"
After hearing what Liu Rulan had to say, Xiao He felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.
This stems from the character design of Mo Tun—a villain who is always chewing betel nut.
Actually, many people now know that this stuff is extremely harmful, and many people's faces become square and rugged after eating it. Someone like Mo Tun, who ate it at such a high intensity, would definitely not be good-looking. It's purely because Xiao He himself is handsome that he makes "Mo Tun" look good.
In other words, Mo Tun's appearance is not part of the plot's design; he is only considered handsome because Xiao He is handsome.
But it was precisely this situation that allowed those merchants to make a comeback, using his photos and related videos as a gimmick to promote the idea that eating fruit is like smoking, a symbol of showing charm and hormones!
Want to be as handsome as Mo Tun? Come and have a bite of our fruit! It's the symbol of a real man!
Even now, if you open a few shopping apps and search for related terms like betel nut, the first thing that pops up is a picture of Mo Tun eating it while standing on a boat!
Xiao He stared at his phone, his face dark as he scrolled down, only to find, ridiculously, that these merchants were utterly shameless, featuring him on almost every cover, making it seem as if he had become the national spokesperson for betel nuts!
These related search terms are firmly linked to him!
He's not allowed to touch this stuff, and don't drag him into it!
“We have already negotiated with these merchants,” Liu Rulan said calmly. “But as you know, these merchants can do this because they are shameless enough. We warned several shops, and after they removed the relevant links, they immediately changed to new links. Although they no longer added your portrait, the product name is still ‘Mo Tun’s style’.”
Xiao He: "..."
My mother tongue is speechless.
“We are already collecting evidence,” Liu Rulan said. “The studio has hired the best legal team to handle this matter, but to be honest, the number of cases is too large, and they move very quickly. Once there is a problem, they will evade responsibility by changing links and closing stores. The operating entities behind multiple stores also need the platform to cooperate in the investigation. Even if the infringement is confirmed, the compensation cost they pay is very low, while we have to spend a lot of effort and resources.”
Unfortunately, it's still very difficult to seek redress online, even for celebrities.
Even if someone as resourceful as Liu Rulan had the means, they would have no choice but to hire a professional team to handle such matters.
In this situation, all you can do is feel disgusted.
"That's really despicable!"
Xiao He couldn't help but curse under his breath.
“As a public figure, this situation is indeed difficult to avoid,” Liu Rulan sighed. “And your situation is actually considered good.”
At least Xiao He's listing is now on a legitimate platform, not somewhere else... Some female celebrities are in a worse situation, their images are infringed, and the listings are in far more complicated places.
That's truly disgusting, and the cost of seeking redress is extremely high; usually, the investigation will end in vain.
"Many people in the industry encounter this kind of thing, and it's a fairly normal phenomenon. It's just that this time the situation is really too much. But it's also a good thing, because your business is getting better and better. The few people in your studio are probably not enough to handle the many things you're dealing with online. I'm going to take this opportunity to set up a separate legal team to help you handle online public opinion and other contract disputes."
Previously, Liu Rulan had always consulted lawyer friends she knew from before, who were essentially unofficial staff of the studio. Whenever there was a problem, she would go to those lawyers.
However, Xiao He's career is developing too fast now, and the car accident he was in recently has kept him extremely busy. Liu Rulan feels that it's time for them to establish their own professional legal team.
The only real headache is that Liu Rulan doesn't know any suitable lawyers. The lawyer who used to handle cases for their studio has already been backed by other big companies, so Liu Rulan can't poach him. The other lawyers she knows are either too expensive or have strong connections, so their small studio can't poach them. Therefore, this idea had to be put on hold for the time being.
However, this rights protection effort is likely to be a long battle, and it's time to put this team on the agenda.
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