OJ SIMPSON - OJ SIMPSON RETAINS IMAGE RIGHTS

OJ SIMPSON will retain rights to his image after the parent of a victim in his murder trial lost his bid for the former sports star's publicity. Simpson was cleared of the 1994 killing of ex-wife NICOLE BROWN and RONALD GOLDMAN but ordered to pay out $33.5 million (GBP18.6 million) in damages in a 1997 civil trial. Goldman's father FRED insists he's not received any of the money and sought Simpson's "right of publicity", including earnings from autographs and public appearances, for financial compensation. But Santa Monica Superior Court Judge LINDA LEFKOWITZ turned down the challenge yesterday (02NOV06), declaring the move would violate the constitution. Simpson's lawyers had argued that, because he has severed ties with the state, California courts have no jurisdiction over his image. However Lefkowitz accepted, "Mr Simpson has, in fact, exploited his fame by such ghoulish activities as appearing at a 'slasher' convention which exhibited... acts of violence not dissimilar from those which caused the death of (Goldman's) son." Simpson did not attend the hearing.