Acting Quote by Harry Reems
“Basically, the prosecutor who led case against me and that administration were trying to say that an actor can be held responsible for his acting, thousands of miles away from where he did the acting. The analogy would be if an artist painted a nude painting in New York City, and it was met with accolades and great reviews. And suddenly, somebody from Texas bought it and put it in their shoe store and it was found to be obscene in Texas, the artist in New York is responsible, and goes to jail because it's obscene in Texas.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Legal Commentary, 1995
Legal responsibility can be imposed on creators for how their work is used far from its origin, raising jurisdictional challenges.
In simple terms: Creators may be liable for distant misuse of their work.
Key Takeaway
Consider jurisdiction when creating content.
Themes
law
art
jurisdiction
responsibility
Mood
critical
thoughtful
cautious
Type
legal
ethical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- producing art
- publishing content
- international distribution
- legal compliance
Key Concepts
intellectual property
media law
Questions to Reflect On
- Should artists be accountable for unintended uses?
- How do differing local standards affect global media?
A Different Perspective
Enforcing distant laws can conflict with freedom of expression.
![“[Robert Downey was being singled out for] selective prosecution. He's a sweet guy who never did harm to anyone except himself. He's been doing drugs for 20 years and functioning for 20 years, and in those 20 years there've been hundreds of people who've been getting high constantly and behaved…” quote by James Toback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/086/james-toback-23241_arrested_robert-downey-was-being-singled-out-for_2146939.jpg)
