One of BVR’s authors, Douglas Bania, testified that ex-wife Amber Heard’s allegations of abuse damaged Johnny Depp’s image. Bania is an expert in intellectual property (IP) damages and valuation and is one of the founders of Nevium Intellectual Property Consultants.

Damaged goods: Using some eye-catching charts, Bania showed the jury his analysis of Depp’s Q scores (a measure of familiarity and public appeal) and Google search results. His analysis showed that, before May 2016 (when Heard filed for a restraining order), Depp had largely positive and ordinary search results. But, after that, his search results revealed much more negative news coverage and his Q scores dropped—and it got worse after the op-ed Heard wrote in late 2018. Bottom line: The public perception of Depp has been damaged. You can watch a video of his testimony if you click here (at 46:47).

His testimony gave an interesting look at the use of internet analytic tools in matters such as these. Bania, along with Brian Buss (also with Nevium), co-wrote two chapters on IP damages in BVR’s Comprehensive Guide to Economic Damages, 6th edition.