Assessment of the damage suffered as a result of an infringement of the agreed scope of the use of an image in advertising purposes

Abstract

This article presents the evolution of the Polish case law concerning protection of an image in the event of a breach of contract regarding the time and place of the use of an image. So far, courts in Poland have only awarded compensation for the personal injury. Recently, the Warsaw Court of Appeal (29.07.2014, VI ACa 1657/13) awarded damages in the amount corresponding to remuneration owed for an unconsented use (lucrum cessans) of an image. The most important statement of the Court concerns the qualification of this payable sum being due for an enrichment at the expense of the depleted. This means that the Court recognised a possibility of unjust enrichment at the expense of a person entitled to the right of an image being a subject of a personal right. The article deals with consequences of this recent judgment for the perception of
this right as a personal right with economic value, but not as a property right. It is suggested that the right to use an image in advertising should be treated as a publicity right (property right).