Posted by David Walker on Monday June 5, 2017 | Copyright/Legal
Danny Clinch filed suit in federal court in New York June 2, alleging multiple copyright infringements of two of his photographs of late rap artist Tupac Shakur. The photographs were allegedly reprinted and distributed on T-shirts without permission. Clinch, a noted music photographer, names five defendants, including an agent for Shakur’s estate, two merchandise manufacturers,... More ›
Posted by Conor Risch on Friday May 19, 2017 | Copyright/Legal
Erika Peterman's photograph of democrat Rob Quist, which she says was used without permission by the Republican National Committee.
Missoula, Montana-based photographer Erika Peterman is suing The Republican National Committee (RNC) for willful copyright infringement. The suit, filed in Montana District Court earlier this week, alleges the RNC used without permission a Peterman photograph of Rob Quist, the Democratic candidate in a special election to fill Montana’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.... More ›
Posted by David Walker on Monday May 15, 2017 | Copyright/Legal
A federal jury in Maryland has awarded $900,000 in actual damages to an Oregon-based plant retailer for its claims against a competitor over unauthorized use of two dozen copyrighted images. The jury verdict, delivered last week, also included a $300,000 statutory damages award, but the plaintiff may elect one jury award or the other (not... More ›
Posted by Conor Risch on Friday April 28, 2017 | Copyright/Legal
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the government’s consumer protection agency, says it sent warning letters to 90 Instagram users and marketers, reminding them that sponsored Instagram posts must be clearly identified as sponsored or paid content. The FTC did not release the identities of the Instagram users it warned, but said they included “celebrities, athletes... More ›
Posted by David Walker on Thursday April 27, 2017 | Business, Copyright/Legal
The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to make the register of copyrights a presidential appointee, instead of a Library of Congress employee. Called the Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act (H.R. 1695), the bill passed the House yesterday by a vote of 378 to 48. The bill is intended to give... More ›
Posted by David Walker on Monday April 24, 2017 | Copyright/Legal
The Estate of Vivian Maier has sued collector Jeffrey Goldstein for copyright infringement and other claims, alleging unauthorized copying, exhibition and print sales of the late photographer’s work. The estate is seeking unspecified damages and lost profits for the alleged violations. According to the estate’s claim, Goldstein acquired approximately 2,000 vintage Maier prints, 20,000 of... More ›
Posted by Holly Hughes on Friday March 31, 2017 | Copyright/Legal
An image by Romanova on the VICE website Motherboard.
For the second time in two months, Jana Romanova is suing VICE Media for the unauthorized use of a photo from her series “Waiting.” In a lawsuit filed March 13 in the Eastern District of New York, Romanova alleges that VICE infringed her copyright when it published a photo from her series on expectant parents... More ›
Posted by Holly Hughes on Thursday March 16, 2017 | Copyright/Legal
A court in South Africa has convicted photographer Zwelethu Mthethwa of the 2013 murder of Nokuphila Kumalo, 23, a sex worker, in a suburb of Cape Town, several South African newspapers have reported. Bail for Mthethwa, a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology who is represented by Jack Shainman Gallery, was revoked while he... More ›
Posted by David Walker on Friday March 10, 2017 | Copyright/Legal
A French court has ordered appropriation artist Jeff Koons and contemporary art museum Centre Pompidou to pay €40,000 (about $46,000 US) for infringing the copyright of a photograph by the late French photographer Jean-François Bauret. The court decision was reported by Radio France Internationale (RFI). Bauret’s family sued Koons over a 1988 sculpture (shown at... More ›
Posted by David Walker on Thursday March 9, 2017 | Copyright/Legal
Photographer Mannie Garcia has won $45,000 to settle a claim against police in Montgomery County, Maryland for violation of his First Amendment rights in 2011. The claim stemmed from Garcia’s wrongful arrest for video recording and photographing the arrest of two other men outside a restaurant in Wheaton, Maryland. The settlement came just days before... More ›
