It all started with an ordinary photo, uploaded years ago to a public-domain website.
No one asked B.J. Novak, the actor and writer known for ‘The Office’, for permission, but his face ended up appearing on electric shavers, hair trimmers, waterproof ponchos, face paint in Uruguay, and even cologne boxes in various countries.
Manufacturers around the world believed that the image was free to use and printed it on their products without knowing who that face belonged to.
When he found out, Novak didn’t call his lawyers. Instead, he told the story himself on social media with a phrase that has already become his signature on the subject, “I find it so funny that I don’t plan to do anything about it”. And so, without intending to, he became the planet’s most involuntary advertising face.
