Copyright in celebrity “self-portraits”? High School Musical star files copyright lawsuit

It appears that Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane (aka “Dr McSteamy”) isn’t the only celebrity using copyright law to protect themselves from an invasion of their privacy: see our earlier post here. High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens has now filed a federal copyright suit against Butter Media LLC for their unauthorised publication of nude self portrait photographs depicting Ms Hudgens in her private residence on their celebrity gossip website.
        
Together, these two cases show an interesting trend of celebrities who are turning to copyright protection to prevent unauthorised publication of their private materials. By registering their “works” with the US Copyright Office, the plaintiffs hope to obtain court orders for removal of the works, prevent further unauthorised publication and financial compensation.