This story is getting pretty common so, hopefully, the more we talk about it, the less likely people are to screw up.
Celebs sharing pictures of themselves that someone else has taken on social media is probably one of the single most common reasons we talk about them on this blog. And it’s just amazing that it is still so common.
US-based comedian Amy Schumer finds herself on the receiving end of a lawsuit after photographer Felipe Ramales said the star used his picture of her walking with her son on the streets of New York City as a way to advertise her shirt brand, Plus Size Brian, which she was wearing at the time. He says that he didn’t give her permission to do this and he also didn’t give her permission to use the picture for commercial purposes. His suit seeks compensation for the image’s use on multiple levels as well as payment of Ramales’ legal fees. Schumers’ company Claudette was also named in the lawsuit.
If you’ve read our past stories, you’ll probably recall that this is so common that some celebrities have taken it upon themselves to hire their own paparazzi teams like Kim Kardashian did.
What do you think of this story? And why do you think this is so common? Is copyright that misunderstood? What do you think will be the future for photographers who take pictures of celebrities? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below if you like.
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3 Comments
If it is on the web somewhere then we all know it is fair game. That is why there is constant warnings on being careful what you put on the web. I think this lawsuit is ridiculous. A waste of the courts time. Which we as tax payers pay their salary. This guy must be desperate for money. What a shame. Be careful…
Except that the Photographer owns the copyright. The fact that is of a particular person (in a public place) does not give that person a right to use the image.
I think that posting for personal is fine, as long as you give credit, but posting for commercial should be compensated. The photographer should be proactive and put pricing on their website like Getty does. That way, even if the subject lifts it from the web, it was clear what the value was.