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Virtual Marilyn

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Virtual Marilyn
First appearanceLove Me, Love Me (1995)
Created byPeter Paul
Based onMarilyn Monroe
Adapted byStephen Brind
Designed byDigicon Media
(Virtual Marilyn LLC)
Motion captureSim Graphics
In-universe information
Full nameVM2 - Virtual Marilyn
AliasVM2
NicknameMarilyn
GenderFemale
OccupationVirtual actress
Virtual television host
Pop culture pundit
NationalityAmerican

Virtual Marilyn, commonly referred to as VM2, is a computer-generated virtual human character based on the persona of Marilyn Monroe. The character was described in its U.S. copyright registration as an "audiovisual work and character artwork depicting a computer-generated virtual actress adopting the persona of Marilyn Monroe."[1][2]

Overview

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video icon VM2 - Virtual Marilyn: The First Virtual Actress to "Live in Cyberspace"

Developed in 1995 in Beverly Hills, USA,[1] VM2 became the first fictional character to adopt the persona of a human being — Marilyn Monroe — that was ever accepted for copyright registration by the United States Copyright Office. VM2 made her debut in a Japanese music video in 1995, performing the song "Love Me, Love Me." In 1996, she was introduced in a global broadcast by Sony Chairman Idei to Sony distributors as the "Digital Dream of the Future," predicting how artificial intelligence would be integrated into everyday life.

In 1997, VM2 became the first virtual personality to host the online magazine What's Hot, What's Not, and also served as a pop culture commentator.[2] In this role, she succeeded Max Headroom, a faux computer-generated personality, becoming the first actual computer-generated media star.[3][4]

video icon Original TV Pilot: "What's Hot & What's Not" (1996)

The original pilot version of the program featuring Virtual Marilyn lasted one hour, but the creators felt that the technologies used at the time could not achieve the desired user experience, and the project was considered "a bit ahead of its time."[3] VM2 combined hyper-realistic animation technology, developed by Pasadena based SimGraphics, with the persona of American actress Marilyn Monroe.

Technological features

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video icon Presentation of VM2 at the Sony Conference in 1996 on YouTube

VM2 was created using live motion capture and 3D modeling techniques. Her creation preceded modern artificial intelligence and deepfake technologies by 30 years. VM2 functioned as a "Vactor" (Virtual actor) — a character capable of performing, hosting shows, storytelling, and interacting with audiences.

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Virtual Marilyn was protected by copyright, filed by Digicon Media and owned by Virtual Marilyn LLC, which registered the character's persona image.[5][6][7][8] As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, this move was "unprecedented" because characters adopting the personas of real people had not previously been registered as copyrightable works. As a result, it became the first example of a virtual character being granted copyright protection.[2]

In 2011, the United States Copyright Office confirmed that VM2 was a "computer-generated virtual actress adopting the persona of Marilyn Monroe," granting her full federal copyright protection.[9][4] This allowed VM2 to commercialize the character and exclude the use of similar computer-generated personas of Marilyn Monroe. Intellectual property valuation experts from CONSOR assessed the rights to VM2 at over $100 million in 2014.[2] Virtual Marilyn became the subject of legal disputes.[10] The Estate of Marilyn Monroe attempted to claim that the use of Monroe's likeness in the form of a virtual character violated their intellectual property rights.[11] In response, the heirs were criticized by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for claiming ownership of persona rights that were terminated with Monroe's death in 1962, and in 2008, two federal courts in the U.S. imposed sanctions on Monroe's heirs for attempting to mislead the courts about these rights.[2][12]

In 2014, Virtual Marilyn LLC filed a lawsuit against the Estate, claiming ownership of the rights to "audiovisual works and artistic creations" featuring the animated persona image of the virtual actress.[13][9] The dispute centered around the argument that the rights to Marilyn Monroe's persona expired upon her death in 1962 and thus never belonged to her heirs.[2][9] The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that "the rights to Marilyn Monroe's persona expired with her death."[2][9]

# Title Copyright number Registration date Ref.
1 VM2 - Virtual Marilyn PA0001773872 1996 [5]
2 VM2 and The Legion of Vactors, treatment for creation and exploitation of original computer generated characters adopting the personas of celebrated people TXu001827427 2012 [14]
3 Virtual Marilyn - VM2 Hosts Whats Hot What's Not PAu003811274 2015 [15]
4 Virtual Marilyn Re-Introduces Herself PAu003811274 2015 [16]
5 VM2 Virtual Marilyn Stickers VAu001201414 2015 [17]
6 Virtual Marilyn - The Secret Singularity : 1-4 TXu002008862 2016 [18]

References

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  1. ^ a b "The origin of VM2". Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Gardner, Eriq (1 October 2014). "Marilyn Monroe Estate Sued Over Threats to 'Virtual Marilyn' Character (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Original TV Pilot: What's Hot & What's Not [1996]". Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  4. ^ a b Horgan, Richard (8 March 2012). "U.S. Copyright Office is Virtual Marilyn's Best Friend". Retrieved 15 December 2024. [Virtual Marilyn] actually been around since 1996, but late last month, in this 50th anniversary year of the Hollywood icon's death, the U.S. Copyright Office officially confirmed VM2's originality.
  5. ^ a b "VM2 - Virtual Marilyn". 1996. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  6. ^ Bell, Crystal (11 June 2012). "Marilyn Monroe Hologram: Late Actress' Estate Threatens Legal Action Over 'Virtual Marilyn'". HuffPost. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  7. ^ Tiffany, Kaitlyn (23 October 2018). "No industry is weirder than the dead celebrity hologram industry". Vox (website). Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  8. ^ Miller, Julie (11 June 2022). "Video of Creepy "Hologram" Marilyn Monroe Resurfaces". Vanity Fair (magazine). Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d Boyle, Darren (2 October 2014). "There's No Business Like Virtual Showbusiness". Daily Mail. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  10. ^ Muir, David (3 October 2014). "The Fight Over Virtual Marilyn Monroe". ABC News (United States). Retrieved 15 December 2024 – via YouTube.
  11. ^ Oswaks, Molly (12 June 2012). "Hologram Marilyn Monroe Hits a Legal Snag". Gizmodo. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  12. ^ Child, Ben (3 September 2012). "Marilyn Monroe's estate loses right to charge for image use". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  13. ^ "Court Fight Builds Over Virtual Marilyn Monroe". ABC News (United States). 2 October 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  14. ^ "VM2 and The Legion of Vactors, treatment for creation and exploitation of..." Library of Congress. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  15. ^ "VM2 Cropped, et al". Library of Congress. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  16. ^ "VM2 Cropped, et al". Library of Congress. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  17. ^ "VM2 Virtual Marilyn Stickers". Library of Congress. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  18. ^ "Virtual Marilyn - The Secret Singularity". Library of Congress. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
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