Invasion of Privacy -


[1] Elements and Case Citations

Florida recognizes four distinct causes of action for invasion of privacy:

 

(1) Appropriation: Unauthorized use of a person’s name or likeness to obtain some benefit.

(2) Intrusion: Physically or electronically intruding into one’s private quarters or person.

(3) Public Disclosure of Private Facts: Publication of private facts that are offensive to the reasonable person and not of legitimate public concern.

(4) False Light: Publication of facts that place a person in a false light even though the facts themselves may not be defamatory.

 

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Florida State Courts

Supreme Court: Agency For Health Care Adm. v. Assoc. Indus., Inc., 678 So. 2d 1239, 1252 (Fla. 1996) (discussing all causes of action); Cape Publications, Inc. v. Hitchner, 549 So. 2d 1374, 1377 (Fla. 1989) (public disclosure of private facts); Allstate Ins. Co. v. Ginsberg, 863 So. 2d 156, 159, 162-63 (Fla. 2003) (sets forth general elements of all four causes of actions and goes into depth on intrusion).

Second District: Heekin v. CBS Broadcasting, Inc., 789 So. 2d 355, 357 (Fla. 2^nd DCA 2001)

Third District: State Farm & Casualty Co., v. Compupay, Inc., 654 So. 2d 944, 948 (Fla. 3d DCA 1995), rev. denied, 662 So. 2d 34 (Fla. 1995) (public disclosure of private facts)

Fifth District: Armstrong v. H&C Communications, Inc., 575 So. 2d 280, 282 (Fla. 5th DCA 1991) (discussing all causes of action)

Florida Federal Courts

Eleventh Circuit: Tyne v. Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P., 336 F.3d 1286, 1289 (11th Cir. 2003) ("Section 540.08 of the Florida Statutes prohibits the unauthorized use of a person's name or likeness for "trade, commercial, or advertising purposes.")

Southern District: Penzer v. Transp. Ins. Co., 509 F. Supp. 2d 1278, 1284 (S.D. Fla. 2007)

Middle District: Lane v. MRA Holdings, LLC, 242 F.Supp.2d 1205, 1213 (M.D. Fla. 2002) (discussing all types of claims).

Florida Statutes

§ 540.08, Fla. Stat. (Appropriation)

References

Restatement (Second) of Torts § 652 (1977 Amendment)

Restatement of Unfair Competition § 46 (1993)

[2] Defenses to Invasion of Privacy Claims

(1) Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.110(d) (pleading affirmative defenses), and other standard defenses. See § 60.

(2) Statute of Limitations: § 95.11(3)(a), Fla. Stat. (four years).

(3) Express consent to publication is a defense. See Rawls v. Conde Nast Publications, Inc., 446 F.2d 313, 316-317 (5th Cir. 1971), cert. denied, 404 U.S. 1038 (1972).

(4) Implied consent to publication is a defense. See Florida Pub. Co. v. Fletcher, 340 So. 2d 914, 917 (Fla. 1976), cert. denied, 431 U.S. 930 (1977).

(5) Plaintiff failed to prove that publication was offensive to the reasonable person. Harms v. Miami Daily News, Inc., 127 So. 2d 715, 718 (Fla. 3d DCA 1961).

(6) Public identification is a prerequisite to invasion of privacy claims. See Epic Metals Corp., v. Condec, Inc., 867 F. Supp. 1009, 1017 (M.D. Fla. 1994).

(7) Publication of facts of public concern do not give rise to invasion of privacy claim. See Woodward v. Sunbeam Television Corp., 616 So. 2d 501, 503 (Fla. 1993).

(8) Disclosure of facts regarding a criminal case obtained from public documents does not give rise to claim for invasion of privacy. See Cape Publications, Inc. v. Hitchner, 549 So. 2d 1374, 1379 (Fla. 1989).

(9) Photograph taken in a public place does not give rise to claim for invasion of privacy. See Heath v. Playboy Enterprises, Inc., 732 F. Supp. 1145, 1148 (S.D. Fla. 1990).

(10) Disclosure of facts obtained from public records or proceedings do not give rise to invasion of privacy claim. See Heath v. Playboy Enterprises, Inc., 732 F. Supp. 1145, 1148 (S.D. Fla. 1990).

(11) Invasion of privacy claims, with the exception of appropriation, can be asserted only by the individual whose privacy has been invaded. See Loft v. Fuller, 408 So. 2d 619, 623 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981), rev. denied, 419 So. 2d 1198 (Fla. 1982).

(12) The fair reporting privilege is a defense to claims for invasion of privacy where a broadcast is a “reasonably accurate and fair” description of the contents of information contained in public records. Heekin v. CBS Broadcasting, Inc., 789 So. 2d 355, 360 (Fla. 2^nd DCA 2001).

(13) The right to privacy does not prohibit the publication of matter which is of legitimate public concern. Walker v. Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement, 845 So.2d 339, 340 (Fla. 3d DCA 2003).