Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-10-2019

Graduation Year

2020

Abstract

Emojis have become ubiquitous in modern digital communication by individuals all over the world. The crux of the issue is that emojis can have a profound impact on the way we communicate. The inclusion of a single emoji can alter the meaning of the accompanying text. Alexandre Loktonov, an expert on hieroglyphics at the Kluge Center, likens emojis to what are known as “determinatives” in Egyptian hieroglyphics, or “signs, which without having a phonetic value on their own, can ‘color’ the meaning of the preceding work of phrase.” In recent years, the nature of emojis has been addressed in several lawsuits, indicating that courts may be recognizing the importance these characters have with respect to language and communication.

This post was originally published on the Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal website on February 10, 2019. The original post can be accessed via the Archived Link button above.

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