In a case spanning more than two years, a landmark decision has been made after a judge ruled that a photographer is allowed to sue a university who previously tried to claim sovereign immunity after they were caught stealing an image.
Details have emerged of a deal between Getty Images and Melania Trump, in which the latter benefited financially from a sum of at least $100,000 in an agreement that also saw the Trump family’s images used only in positive news stories.
A legal battle that erupted between a photographer and a Film Festival after the latter used a copyrighted photo has concluded with a federal court in Virginia, which ruled that taking an image from the Internet without permission for a commercial website can be considered fair use.
As photographers, we all get annoyed when our images are being used without permission, and taking legal action is, for most of us, simply not a viable option. However, that might be changing as one law firm has discovered a means of making companies pay for even the smallest infringements.
It's no secret that photographers often have to deal with people stealing their photos and showing little respect for the hard work that goes into creating a quality image. So, it's always nice to see when a bit of justice is handed out and the photographer's rights are upheld.
Every day sees tens of thousands of copyright infringements on Instagram, and despite this vast number, reporting violations is very confusing — perhaps deliberately so. While my first attempt took almost 20 minutes, I can now complete a report in under 90 seconds. This quick guide walks you through the process and helps to make it as painless as possible.
One photographer has been left disgruntled watching "Stranger Things" after recognizing what he believes to be one of his own storm photos – taken and used without permission – for the show’s concept art.
A drone could be flying right outside your window, staring at you after you’ve come out of the shower, or watching you sleep. At least that’s what TODAY show correspondent Jeff Rosen’s latest piece on spying drones would have you believe.
Try searching your own name. Now, what do you see? Most importantly, what do your clients see?
Despite stemming from 2011, the case regarding the copyright of a photo technically taken by a monkey is not over yet. Even though photographer David Slater and animal rights group PETA reached an agreement last year, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has now rejected the request.
How does tax day work for digital nomads like travel photographers? File this one under “good to know.” Digital nomads often end up paying way too much in US taxes that they are not legally obligated to pay.
Andy Grimm, the photographer who was shot after a deputy mistook his tripod for a rifle, had been warned about his behavior near police in the past, records show.
So, you’ve been told time and time again that royalty free music is the way to go when it comes to selecting beats for your videos. But part of you can’t help but wonder about the alternatives.
Deputy Jacob Shaw, who shot Photographer Andy Grimm after mistaking his tripod for a gun, will not face any criminal charges. A grand jury declined to bring charges against the deputy earlier today.
You might remember Andy Grimm, an Ohio photographer who was shot by Deputy Jake Shaw after he stopped to take pictures of a traffic stop and his tripod was mistaken for a gun. Grimm filed a lawsuit against the county, but lawyers say not only were the deputy's actions "reasonable," but Grimm's own "negligence... contributed to cause the injuries."
Are you sure you are entering photography competitions that are legitimate? We've found one that doesn't seem so and we contacted some of the "judges" who turned out to be unaware of it.
It’s time to get involved in protecting your copyrights if you’re a photographer based in the USA. The H.R. 3945 CASE Act is a piece of legislation that has been winding its way through Congress since October 2017, and it would allow photographers to better protect and defend their copyrights, but it needs your help!
A model and photographer who were arrested last year are now pleading guilty to “misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges” after conducting a nude shoot at a public mall.
Where you can or cannot fly a drone when it comes to United States public lands is a confusing topic with an answer that has to be pieced together by studying multiple government websites. Navigating the gauntlet of online information can be daunting but I'm here to help.
In January I broke the news Canon Italia had posted a landscape composite without credit, stolen elements, and which were taken on a Fujifilm. It garnered quite a lot of attention and Canon Italia replied, only making matters worse. Well, Elia Locardi has taken the situation to court.
A Kashmiri photojournalist who has been in jail for five months after being arrested by the Indian National Investigation Agency has been charged with sedition and attempting to wage war against India, while international press organizations continue to call for his immediate release.
If you've wondered why registering your image copyrights is a good thing, here's a case for you. Insect photographer Alex Wild is seeking $2.7 million in an image-use case in which a pest control company used 18 of his images without permission and refused to take them down.
If you've ever considered uploading your work to Unsplash, you should probably watch these two videos, or at the very least, familiarize yourself with the points raised by legendary commercial and editorial photographer, Zack Arias. If nothing else, Arias wants photographers to understand the risk of facing a lawsuit as a result of uploading their images to the site.
Rapper Logic has been accused of lying about the nature of his music video, saying it was a “summer school project” in order to deceive the location owners and avoid a hefty shooting fee.
The cost of registering unpublished photos is set to increase significantly after the US Copyright Office announced plans to reduce the number of photos that can be registered at any one time.
In what appears to be a rising trend, Jessica Simpson is the latest famous face landing in legal trouble after posting an image of themselves on Instagram.
Grumpy Cat has become somewhat of a household name thanks to his immortalization in the world of memes, and the subsequent virality. The animal’s popularity become a lucrative business for its owner, who is said to have made profits into the millions. She has now won a bitter legal battle stemming from 2015, after a beverage company used Grumpy Cat’s name and image for an unlicensed range.
One of the most frustrating things a photographer has to deal with in today's market is having their work stolen or used for free. If you post images online, the chances of your work being used without your permission isn't just likely, but inevitable. How then can you as a photographer protect your images while at the same time publishing your work so you can promote your brand? In this free excerpt from our Making Real Money tutorial, Monte Isom shares the exact steps you need to take to both protect your work and recover damages caused by illegal infringements.
A staff photographer for the Department of Energy was recently fired and is now seeking whistle-blower protection after he leaked photos of Secretary of Energy Rick Perry meeting with a major coal mining CEO.
Fashion Model Sofia Richie, daughter of Singer Lionel Richie, is being sued for over $1 million by a celebrity photo agency after she posted photos of herself without permission, then refused to take all of them down.
A Houston photographer who had one of his images stolen and used without his permission has become part of a very unusual case, in which the alleged thief is claiming sovereign immunity and the photographer is in turn using a rather unusual legal strategy to combat their defense.
This week I wrote an article pointing out that Canon Italy (among other Canon EU pages and Instagram accounts) had posted a composite landscape that had a large amount of the image stolen from Elia Locardi. There was an enormous response to this and so I decided to dig for more information and between my research, the community, and Locardi himself, there's rather a lot more to unpack.
New Jersey lawmakers approved legislation on Monday to ban inebriated drone operation. With drone sales continuing to skyrocket in 2017, there are increased concerns of drone accidents, leading to increased regulation worldwide on the aerial gadgets. If the bill is signed into law by outgoing governor Chris Christie or governor-elect Phil Murphy, the message that the state of New Jersey will deliver is don't drink and drone.
In news that is almost no longer surprising, another photographer of note has been accused of sexual misconduct by several women.
The National Transportation Safety Board has issued its final report on a midair collision between a DJI Phantom drone and a Black Hawk helicopter in September of 2017 that damaged one of the rotor blades of the helicopter, becoming one of the first confirmed and fully investigated incidents between a drone and a manned aircraft.
Photographer Terry Richardson is being investigated by the New York Police Department's Special Victims Squad according to accounts from multiple women who have been contacted for interviews by detectives.
I won't hold it against you if you've never wondered where babies come from in movies. But, it's good to know the details to understand how it works and ease out the planning should you be commissioned to shoot a lifestyle brand's advertising campaign. The general aim is to keep the babies safe on the day, to let them get the rewards for the work they put in once they turn 18, and to give the production team options and solutions, like booking twins or triplets so you either have more time to shoot the baby scenes as you can literally swap out the infants. This video shows how it works in more detail.
The Calgary Herald reports that tip-offs from members of the public posted on social media have been instrumental in leading to arrests over $27,000 worth of stolen gear from The Camera Store on the weekend.
Andy Grimm, who was shot twice after having his camera and tripod mistaken as a weapon, had previously been quoted as saying he didn’t want Sheriff’s Deputy Jake Shaw to lose his job over the incident.
A wealthy neighborhood in Houston has tried and failed to ban photographers, after 40-50 photoshoots, often extravagant engagement or wedding shoots complete with props, were said to be taking place each weekend.
Over the last few years, there have been a number of significant burglaries. Sadly, another has occurred, this time at Calgary-based store The Camera Store, with over $27,000 of stock missing.
A couple of weeks ago, I bought my first drone: a DJI Mavic Pro. I’d been eyeing one for months, trying to decide if it was worth it and if I could justify its use for my business. I pulled the trigger right after Thanksgiving, have been trying to learn all of the rules about using it, and have been studying for the FAA Part 107 test ever since. And there are a lot of rules. And one of those rules is about to change — again— thanks to a bill President Trump signed yesterday that requires all drone flyers in the U.S., including hobbyists, to register with the FAA.
A Shutterstock photographer has posted shocking footage of the moment Queens of the Stone Age Frontman Josh Homme kicked her camera whilst she had it held to her face in the pit at their recent concert.
Given the power of the Internet, if you steal someone’s work it’s almost inevitable you’ll be outed for your crimes eventually. And that’s exactly what happened when one Canadian artist stole a series of images for a $15,000 commission.
As Instagram evolves, copyright violations don't seem to be an issue for this social media giant. More images mean more views which mean more ad revenue, and there is zero incentive for Instagram to take any serious action against reposters, lost as it is in this huge gray area of what constitutes a breach of intellectual property.
A Scottish photographer has become entangled in a bitter legal battle with The National Trust over “artistic nudes” he shot inside one of their castles.
Singer Bruno Mars is facing legal action from a photographer who took an image of him as a child in 1989.
In a rather strange set of events, Queen Guitarist Brian May lashed out at a photographer after she filed a takedown request when the musician posted one of her photos of him on his Instagram without credit.
At this point I have lost track how many times I have been given inaccurate counsel from other well-meaning people, such as, "Make sure you copyright that so nobody can steal it," or "If you put it online then you give up your rights and it becomes public property." Such advice will only ever come from people who don't actually understand copyright laws. When it comes to copyright issues and navigating them, the only advice worth following is advice that can be backed up by law. If you receive advice that can't be backed up by legitimate copyright law then the advice is simply someone's opinion.
The Italian town of Positano is one of the travel destinations adored by photographers and tourists because of its colorful and dynamic scenery. If you want to know how Landscape Photographer Elia Locardi photographed Positano and many other beautiful locations, check out Fstoppers' latest tutorial "Photographing the World 3." But before that, you need to be aware of the new taxes imposed by city council of the beautiful Italian town, regarding permits for photography and video.