Legal

The recent settlement by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in the United States represents a pivotal shift for the real estate market, particularly benefiting real estate photographers. This change, resulting from litigation over commission misrepresentation, is set to reshape how agents and buyers interact, emphasizing the increased demand for high-quality real estate photography to enhance property listings.

On a day marked by tensions surrounding press freedom in Thailand, two journalists found themselves ensnared in the legal system for their investigative work into acts of political defiance against the monarchy.

A legislator from South Carolina is taking legal action against Instagram following the tragic suicide of his son. Roughly two weeks post the memorial service of his eldest child, State Representative Brandon Guffey was confronted with a private message on Instagram containing a mockery emoji.

Amazon's subsidiary, Ring, has announced a significant policy change: it will no longer permit law enforcement agencies to access user-recorded footage from its doorbell cameras. This decision marks a departure from Ring's previous stance and was announced via a blog post on Wednesday.

A prominent TikToker has thrown their support behind a proposed Ohio legislation designed to safeguard child influencers from potential economic exploitation by their parents. This new bill, recently introduced to the Ohio House, seeks to establish labor laws specifically for "kidfluencers" to ensure they are fairly compensated for their online presence and contributions.

Utah high school student Hannah Zoulek has mounted a challenge against the state of Utah, targeting the controversial Social Media Regulation Act set to be enacted on March 1. This act requires social media platforms to verify the ages of users and secure parental consent for users under 18. It also imposes a digital curfew, barring minors from accessing these platforms from 10:30 pm to 6:30 am.

The First District Appellate Court recently ruled against the Chicago Cubs in their bid to move a legal case to arbitration. This decision regards a lawsuit filed by Charles Arbogast, an Associated Press photographer who suffered injuries at Wrigley Field.

A sports photographer has initiated a legal battle against the Detroit Lions, alleging unauthorized use of his photograph for the creation of a Barry Sanders statue. The lawsuit, filed in a federal court, accuses the football team of using his image for the statue's design without his consent.

A photographer narrowly avoided a drone collision with famed DJ Fatboy Slim, as reported in court proceedings, and has been ordered to pay over $1,000 in penalties.

Starting January 15, a new regulation, the Social Media Parental Notification Act, will be implemented across Ohio, requiring young social media users under the age of 16 to obtain consent from their parents or legal guardians before using these platforms.

A legal conflict has erupted involving a former photographer for the British royal family, Glenn Harvey, who is taking legal action against a Chattanooga-based menswear retailer for allegedly using one of his photographs of Princess Diana without permission.

A photographer is taking legal action against a small church in South Carolina for allegedly using his photograph without consent.

Photo-thieving criminal gangs and huge corporations profit from stealing our photographs. Let’s stand together and fight back.

During the festive holiday season, capturing holiday-themed family photographs is a cherished tradition for many. However, photographers, especially those conducting holiday photo sessions, should be wary of certain legal pitfalls. One such issue arises with the use of popular characters like The Grinch in professional photoshoots.

As New York's landmark Adult Survivors Act nears expiration, former model and actress Caron Bernstein has stepped forward to accuse celebrity photographer Terry Richardson of sexual assault. Filed before the Thanksgiving deadline, Bernstein's lawsuit alleges Richardson exploited a 2003 photo shoot proposal to coerce her into unwanted oral sex acts.

A legal battle is unfolding between iconic rock band Guns N' Roses and their photographer of over a decade, Katarina Benzova. Benzova filed a lawsuit in November alleging egregious copyright infringement and sexual harassment by the band's management. Guns N' Roses denies the claims and filed a preemptive countersuit challenging Benzova's copyright ownership.

The murder of 31-year-old Efrem Jones, a photographer who ran a small studio out of his apartment, has sent shockwaves through the community of Decatur and beyond. Jones was tragically gunned down on Christmas Eve in 2021 in a case of mistaken identity after taking family portraits for a local couple.

A St. Louis boudoir photographer is facing accusations that she took thousands of dollars in payments from at least five clients but failed to deliver the promised photographs and products.

The long-awaited murder trial of Tyon Shuron, who is accused of killing Richmond, Maine photographer Andrew Sherman in 2019, began this week, bringing new details to light about the alleged crime.

A legal settlement in Virginia will allow wedding photographer Bob Updegrove to refuse services for same-sex couples while publicizing that policy on his website. This comes after Updegrove filed a federal lawsuit challenging the state's 2020 anti-discrimination law.

A new Illinois law forces adults who profit from their kids' content to set aside a percentage of their earnings. Does this go far enough to protect kidfluencers?

A Texas man is suing a sheriff's deputy and Dallas County after he says his personal information was broadcast to over 100 people when the deputy livestreamed his traffic stop on TikTok.

A class action lawsuit has been filed in rhe US against Stability AI and other AI art generators. If they are infringing copyright laws, could it bring an end to AI-generated art? What are the real issues? A lawyer explains in this eye-opening video.

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.