Bill supported by J.D. Salinger's family is vetoed in New Hampshire
Gov. John Lynch vetoed a bill that would have allowed J.D. Salinger's family to control his identity for 70 years after his death.
Gov. John Lynch vetoed a bill that would have allowed J.D. Salinger's family to control his identity for 70 years after his death.
A bill titled Senate Bill 175 which aimed to control the use of a person鈥檚 identity for 70 years after his or her death 鈥� and which was spearheaded by the family of author J.D. Salinger 鈥� was vetoed by New Hampshire governor John Lynch.
Lynch called the bill "overly broad" and said that it "would potentially have a chilling effect on legitimate journalistic and expressive works that are protected by the New Hampshire and United States constitutions,鈥� according to the Concord Monitor.
Under the bill, control over a person鈥檚 identity was a right that could be inherited by family or other heirs.
The "Catcher in the Rye" author鈥檚 son, Matt Salinger, said he and his family had worked to bring the legislation into being after his father鈥檚 image began popping up on t-shirts, coffee mug,s and other souvenirs without their permission.
鈥淢y father moved [to New Hampshire] in the 鈥�50s because it was beautiful but also because of a certain kind of respect for individual rights,鈥� Salinger said in an interview with the Associated Press speaking about his father鈥檚 decision to live most of his life in the Granite State. 鈥淗e basically wanted to be left alone and do his work, and New Hampshire, he quickly sensed, respected that.鈥�
Salinger said he was extremely unhappy with the verdict.
鈥淚鈥檓 stunned and just hugely disappointed that Gov. [John] Lynch saw fit to veto something that was the result of thousands of hours of well-intentioned, diligent, bipartisan work,鈥� he told the AP.