Variety:

Movie studios can be sued under false advertising laws if they release deceptive movie trailers, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson issued a ruling in a case involving “Yesterday,“ the 2019 film about a world without the Beatles.

Two Ana de Armas fans filed a lawsuit in January, alleging that they had rented the movie after seeing de Armas in the trailer, only to discover that she was cut out of the final film.

Universal sought to throw out the lawsuit, arguing that movie trailers are entitled to broad protection under the First Amendment. The studio’s lawyers argued that a trailer is an “artistic, expressive work" that tells a three-minute story conveying the theme of the movie, and should thus be considered “non-commercial" speech.

But Wilson rejected that argument, finding that a trailer is commercial speech and is subject to the California False Advertising Law and the state’s Unfair Competition Law.

Legit, this could truly change how movie trailers are produced.

Happy Holidays, Marketing Teams!