On March 17, the use of the profile pictures of mainland Chinese celebrity couple Deng Chao and Sun Li as signage for a public restroom for men and women in a certain location has sparked attention and discussion, quickly becoming a hot topic on Weibo.
According to a report by mainland Chinese media Modern Express, photos circulating online show that Deng Chao and Sun Li’s unaltered profile pictures were simply and directly pasted at the entrance of the restroom, without any cartoonization or artistic processing, making them highly visible. There were no labels of “男” (male) or “女” (female) around the photos, directly using the images as gender-dividing signs.
The report stated that using celebrity photos for restroom gender signs may seem “creative,” but it could potentially cross legal and moral boundaries, sparking controversy. Netizens criticized the act, saying, “Is it so difficult to write ‘male’ and ‘female’?” “Which well-intentioned person would use celebrity photos as restroom signs?” “It’s impolite.” “This violates the celebrities’ image rights.” They believe that such practices are excessive and outrageous.
Some netizens speculated that the business might have come up with this attention-grabbing but unsavory gimmick to attract traffic and generate discussions.
According to the relevant provisions of the Civil Code, unauthorized use of someone else’s likeness without consent is undoubtedly an infringement. A lawyer mentioned that if the incident is true, such actions may violate the image and reputation rights of both Deng Chao and Sun Li.
Public information shows that Deng Chao and Sun Li met in 2005 while filming the TV drama “Happiness Like Flowers” and their romance was later exposed. They got married in 2010 and held their wedding in Shanghai in 2011. The couple now has a 13-year-old son named “Deng Deng” and a 10-year-old daughter named “Xiao Hua,” leading a happy family life. They have become a representative couple of affection in the mainland Chinese entertainment industry, drawing attention with every move they make.