To analyse and investigate the contemporary issue of ownership of passed celebrity imagery, it is only fitting to focus on a company that holds the right to an abundance of imagery. World Wide XR holds the imagery rights to hundreds of passed celebrities. In a broader sense, World  Wide XR is a company with a that has a creative vision with the use of computer-generated imagery. The summary on their website reads as followed, “WorldwideXR is a new generation immersive media company that is reshaping the XR industry for customers and companies.” (World Wide XR, 2020). 

They currently own the rights to 400 passed celebrities including Rosa Parks, James Dean, Malcolm X and Bettie Page.  This is just a highlight of the array of personalities they own and a link to the full list can be found below.  It has been reported that “Worldwide XR, which recently formed out of a merger between business and marketing agency firm CMG Worldwide” (Lee, 2019).  CMG Worldwide also hold the rights to thousands more than their breakoff partner at WorldWide, highlighting how high in demand passed celebrities are. 

Looking into the legalities of the industry World Wide XR are able to do this kind of work in the media due to the Rights of Publicity bill passed in the USA in 1985. “The right of publicity allows the control of the commercial use of your name, likeness, and other identifying characteristics. It’s a civil claim under state law, and it enables people to protect and monetize the value of their identities—and to avoid false implications of endorsement.” (Peters, 2017). So World Wide XR are allowed to use the likeness, voice and imagery of passed celebrities due to the fact that these rights when they pass and inherited by the stars state. There were then purchased and World Wide XR are allowed to sell the use of the imagery for profit in contemporary pieces of media such as adverts, films and TV appearances.  All this information can be found on their website, linked below.