Photos publicity advisory José
In times where no one can hide behind screens anymore to commit different types of virtual crimes against someone's honor, especially when talking about celebrities who are always active on social networks, having a legal team specialized in the virtual environment makes all the difference . Not by chance, names of great importance in the national media, such as Ferrugem, Luísa Sonza, Dilsinho, Xande de Pilares, Bom Gosto, FM O DIA, Xamã, Nego do Borel, among others, elected the lawyer José Estevam Macedo Lima as the official representative in the fight against crimes such as slander, defamation, racism, among others that are increasingly gaining space on the internet.
Estevam's work to identify and bring to justice Internet users who have committed crimes against his customers has earned him the nickname "Sheriff of Celebrity Social Networks".“That nickname is organic, like my whole career. I remember that one day an article came out calling me Sheriff of the Social Networks of the Famous and I attribute this nickname to the fact that I have always been very proactive in defending the interests of my clients, both in the judiciary and in the 'court of the Internet,'” he says.
The lawyer explains how this proactivity works to combat crimes that violate the honor and image of his clients.“By issuing clarification notes, in which I signed and vehemently opposed these judgments that have no technical basis and which, in the overwhelming majority, affect the honor, intimacy and private life of citizens and especially artists. This nickname was gaining strength and I started to be called that even when I won the Pedro Ernesto medal for my work as President of the Commission for the Defense of the Right to Freedom of Expression of Anacrim RJ and also for my work in entertainment law”, he comments.
He still remembers how he started his work advocating for celebrities. “My work began at Mania Produções Artísticas, in mid-2001, with some specific cases, which are still success stories for the firm to this day. These are the actions in which service providers ask entrepreneurs and artists to recognize their employment relationship. I was also a lawyer for a young man who was an actor in the film Cidade de Deus, at the request of Marcelo Luca, a former member of the group O Rappa. I was a lawyer for several bands in the music scene and for several artists. When I started advocating for musical groups in pagode and artists in the funk scene, I started to become better known through the media and social networks”, he reveals.
Estevam also mentions the greater difficulty of advocating for celebrities: “The causes involving celebrities are always more complex, as most of them gain exposure and great repercussions. This not only makes the job much more difficult, but also requires a greater power of concentration and resilience. The strategy has to be well put together and everything very aligned. In defending the interests of artists, everything has to be very well thought out and focus must be a main characteristic of the lawyer”.
Finally, he explains why he decided to specialize in cybercrime: “My office has always had an outstanding performance in the criminal area. We have already acted in the defense of character in several police operations in evidence in Brazil and in the world and, at the beginning of the pandemic, I was appointed president of the commission for the defense of the right to freedom of expression of Anacrim Rio de Janeiro. I asked President Flavio Fernandes and President Nacional James to create this commission, as I saw that, with the obligation of social distancing, social networks and the internet would be more used, thus bringing the discussion of freedom of expression as a whole as a right constitutional foundation. In this vein, the commission of virtual crimes became very evident, which grew a lot and, as my office already acted with several influencers and artists, we already had experience in dealing with this ‘new environment’, which was the virtual one”, he says.
