L’appello del 9° circuito con sentenza 21.12.2023, caso n° 22-55822, Elden v. Nirvana etc., regola la questione del decorso prescrizionale del risarcimento per child pornography nel noto caso Elden v. Nirvana. Esso riguarda la celeberrima ed iconica immagine del bimbo nudo che nuota appena sotto il pelo dell’acqua (se ben capisco).
Quel bimbo, all’epoca (1991) di quattro mesi ed ora divenuto adulto, fa causa ai Nirvana in base ad una legge ad hoc . Qui però interessa il decorso del termine prescrizionale.
In primo grado la pretesa era stata rigettata per prescrizione, ma ora l’appello la rimette in pista.
Infatti è pur vero che la prima pubblicizione porterebbe alla prescrizione: solo che seguì una ridistribuzine che ll’ha mantenuto in termini.
<<Reading § 2255(b)(1)(B) in this light, we hold that if a
predicate criminal offense occurred when the plaintiff was a
minor, the statute of limitations does not run until ten years
after the victim reasonably discovers a personal injury
resulting from the offense, which may include republication
of the child pornography that was the basis of the predicate
criminal offense. (…)
The allegations in Elden’s complaint are enough to
render the claim timely under 18 U.S.C. § 2255(b)(1)(B).
The complaint alleges that Defendants committed a
predicate offense when they “knowingly possessed,
transported, reproduced, advertised, promoted, presented,
distributed, provided, and obtained commercial child
pornography depicting [Elden].” These alleged violations
began in 1991, when the photograph was taken, and were
ongoing. The violations therefore occurred “while [Elden
was] a minor.” 18 U.S.C. § 2255(a). Elden seeks damages
for “personal injuries” he alleges he suffered “as a result of
such violation[s].” Id. § 2255(a). Elden alleges he suffered
the personal injuries “during the ten years preceding this
action,” including the Defendants’ redistribution of the
Nevermind album in 2021. Because that and other
republications can constitute personal injuries under
§ 2255(b)(1)(B), Elden had ten years from the date of
reasonable discovery of those injuries to file his complaint.
Elden’s complaint covered only injuries discovered in the
preceding ten years, so his claim is timely under 18 U.S.C.
§ 2255(b)(1)(B)>>