Photography Law & Legal

The UK Department for Work and Pensions has shared a series of photos that show benefits fraudsters caught in the act thanks to their poor Photoshop skills. 

Occasionally, it’s worth Googling your name to see what turns up. When I did it, it showed that a website was plagiarizing Fstoppers articles and stealing my photos too. This is what I did about it.

Recently, Canon banned the production and sales of some third-party lenses for its RF mount cameras. Many photography enthusiasts bemoaned the decision and claimed Canon would lose out because of it. Now that Canon has confirmed the prohibition, what does the future look like for its RF mount cameras and lenses?

As creatives, we are often focused on just that: creating works that help us relate to ourselves, others, or the world around us. Unfortunately for some, this means that creating takes precedence over some other tasks.

The U.K. government has announced that it will soon be a crime to photograph mothers breastfeeding their children in public. Limiting the right to photograph in public places could be seen as an attack on freedom of expression, so is this law justified?

A terrifying ordeal is recalled as one photographer is followed back to his home and held at gunpoint for his camera equipment. An important reminder to be safe and alert when out shooting.

In what is becoming an increasingly common practice among commercial brands, Delta Airlines has begun trying to sneakily claim image rights to any photo posted on Instagram with the hashtag #SkyMilesLife.

Filing a DMCA takedown notice to have Instagram remove a photo that has been used without permission is a frustrating process. Now, evidence is emerging that Instagram’s handling of these notices could put the social media giant in a tricky legal situation.

Universal Music Group has bizarrely started to copyright strike videos that contain the Moon. You know, the huge celestial object that sits in the sky and is visible to almost anyone — that moon. Copyright strikes from UMG have essentially become a meme in the last decades; however, this one definitely takes the cake. 

The Supreme Court of Montana has made it harder for photographers and filmmakers to use exotic animals as photo props.

Apple has announced this week that it is going to start rolling out new child safety features. These features are coming later this year in updates to iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, and macOS Monterey. Apple says that this program is ambitious and protecting children is an important responsibility. 

A Dallas, Texas man was arrested after flying a drone in the World Trade Center complex in New York City on August 2 and crashing it into one of the skyscrapers. The man, Adam Ismail, 22, said: "Now, I’ve got a great New York story... I need to make my YouTube pop off."

We have seen plenty of examples of police challenging or violating citizens' First Amendment right to record their activities in public, but now, they are turning to a new trick to prevent the dissemination of recordings. 

The FAA has some new regulations you have to follow as a drone pilot, regardless of whether you're just flying recreationally, or even if you already hold the Part 107 certification. Fortunately, compliance is free and easy, and you can do it right now.

Photojournalists and traveling photographers have had brushes with the law in foreign lands many times, often making the news. This incredible story is how one photographer went from flying his drone to sitting in a windowless Cuban prison cell with no end in sight.

If you have ever worked with a model, you’ve probably heard of the concept of model releases. Here is an explanation of when you need them and what kind of language they should contain.

Nasty comments get posted in the online photographic communities, so I researched the driving forces behind the trolls and what we should do about them. Who they are and their motivations are not as obvious as you may think.

Scams these days are getting more and more complex and it's easier than you might anticipate to get caught out. Here's how one veteran of our industry came close to being a victim.

Troy Hyde, owner of Animals of Montana, is appealing the ruling of the State of Montana's Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to revoke his license. As photographers, we should care, as Hyde has been supplying captive animals to photographers for decades. Apparently, he's been doing so in a way that mistreats the animals. 

I'm always trying to learn from other people's mistakes or experiences. It's served me well over the years, saving me much heartache, healing, and money.

A photographer in the United Kingdom has been ordered to pay a fine of more than $8,000 after posting a selfie to Instagram which proved that she had broken quarantine laws.

A 17-year-old has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in regards to the death of a photographer, who lost her life in the middle of a photoshoot after she was struck by a log at the bottom of a cliff.

Have you ever had a photo of yours stolen? Here are some important things you should know about.

A photographer has won a lawsuit against BuzzFeed which some are hailing as a landmark case, after the entertainment platform removed the photographer’s copyright from the images in question.

Unfortunately for professional photographers, according to most current estimates, COVID-19 looks like it will be sticking around for quite a long time — perhaps years. 

As photographers, we frequently find ourselves shoulder to shoulder with another photographer focusing on the same subject, but what if that subject is the other photographer’s model? Is it ok to stand close enough to take the same or similar shot, or is that cheating, or worse, theft? Just how much photographic imitation is ok? A member of a local photography Facebook group I belong to recently posed this question. A heated discussion inevitably ensued. 

Earlier this year, a photographer and model launched a lawsuit against Volvo, citing copyright infringement, after the car manufacturer used images the pair had taken without permission. Volvo is trying to win the case by claiming all public Instagram posts are fair game and can be taken and used freely.

News organizations in Seattle have been ordered by a judge to hand over photographs and videos to the Seattle Police Department to aid investigations into alleged arson of police vehicles and theft of police weapons.

Product recalls tend to produce something between concern and shock in consumers, especially when they come years after initial production. And while Nikon is no stranger to recalls, a safety recall on one of their camera bodies might meet consumer reaction closer to the shock end of the spectrum.

During the protests in Minneapolis last month, photojournalist Linda Tirado was left blind in one eye after being hit by a foam bullet used by police. After initially making light of the situation, she has now decided to pursue legal action against the City of Minneapolis, and is citing the last images she took of police before she was shot at as evidence.

A Donald Trump campaign video has been pulled from Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram following copyright infringement claims, despite the President’s claims that the removal was politically motivated.

A complaint has been filed against Microsoft, which suggests the tech company used a series of images without the permission of a photographer.

A CNN correspondent and his camera crew were arrested live on air while reporting on events in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd.

Video footage shows the moment an unprovoked man decides to push a photographer into a nearby pond, injuring her and submerging her $3,000 worth of gear into the water. The clip sees members of the public rally around to support the woman, while the attacker tries to downplay his actions.

The paparazzi have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, with celebrities in lockdown leading to a 95 percent drop in output. It seems paparazzi are resorting to even more invasive methods by flying drones very low over celebrity residences.

The state of California is taking legal action against the popular CBS show "Criminal Minds" for creating an "unchecked” environment of “intimidating, hostile, and offensive” behavior by the show's director of photography, Gregory St. Johns. 

In what might be the most extreme story I have ever seen involving a photography business, a wedding videographer told a man whose fiancée died a car crash before the wedding "life is a b***h" and "we hope you sob and cry all day for what would have been your wedding day" after he requested a refund.

A grandmother has been ordered by a European court to remove pictures of her grandchildren from Facebook and Pinterest or face increasing fines.

A man from New York City was arrested in Hawaii for violating the state's quarantine orders after he posted photos of himself on a beach on Instagram.

You have probably read at least one story like this at some point. A celebrity is being sued for posting a picture of themselves on Instagram, and this time, it is Jennifer Hudson.

It is unfortunately common practice nowadays for news organizations to source free content from photos and video posted on social media, but the AP's approach is coming under particular criticism for terms that have been deemed "abusive across the board."

Activists are calling for all charges against a photographer to be dismissed after he was beaten by police multiple times after photographing them enforcing a coronavirus lockdown.

A former McDonald’s worker has multiple year-long battle with Getty Images, in which she was attempting to have the renowned photo agency remove a stock image of her. The photo in question was taken without her consent, while she was working, and used within negative press articles.

A major international court ruling may force DJI to pull numerous drones off the shelves in the United States due to a patent violation.

Video has surfaced showing a drone flying dangerously and illegally close to military jets over a major American city.

Cincoro, the premium tequila company founded by Michael Jordan and a group of NBA owners, is being sued by a Los Angeles photographer for copyright infringement in a suit that alleges the company used her images in a variety of instances without her permission.

It is a story we have heard many times at this point. Another celebrity is being sued for posting a picture of themselves on Instagram. This time, it is Jennifer Lopez.

A New Jersey wedding photographer was charged with violating a coronavirus emergency order after police caught him photographing a ceremony, with a penalty of up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.

An Illinois man has been charged with battery and criminal damage to property after he attacked a news photographer and smashed his camera while the photographer was filming unrelated footage for a story. 

So a court recently decided that anyone can use your public Instagram images for free without having to notify you, much less pay you. Lots of photographers out there are outraged, but should you care?