8:00 AM - 7:00 PM EST

Open Monday - Friday

(800) 979-3707

Call Us For Free Consultation

Facebook

Twitter

Search
 

Articles

Read our expertly written blog

Tips for Protecting Online Photos

depositphotos 13123801 xl 2015

Tips on Protecting Your Online Photos from Copyright Infringement Photography has certainly changed since Congress created US Copyright Law. No one at that time considered that there might be digital cameras, the Internet, smartphones, and social media. As more and more photographers publish pictures online, there is a greater risk than ever before someone might use them without your permission. Why? Because it can be challenging to keep track of where your work ends up or how it is used once you upload it. Think about how many photographers have sued celebrities for copyright infringement in the last few years...

Continue reading

Photographer Wins Copyright Lawsuit on Appeal

depositphotos 87395108 xl 2015

The US 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals Reverses Lower Court Ruling in Copyright Case Celebrity photographer Lynn Goldsmith won her copyright lawsuit against the Andy Warhol Foundation. In the initial lawsuit filed in New York Federal Court, the court decided that Warhol made "fair use" of the picture. Goldsmith appealed the verdict, and the appeals court decided in the photographer's favor. In their reversal of the lower court's 2019 decision, the 2nd Circuit determined that Andy Warhol violated Goldsmith's copyright to a photograph of Prince she took in 1981. In 1981 Goldsmith did a photoshoot with Prince as part of...

Continue reading

Carmen Electra Sues Strip Clubs For Copyright and Publicity Violations

depositphotos 130582160 xl 2015

Copyright Lessons We Might Learn from Carmen Electra Nearly everyone with access to any type of entertainment media during the 90s and 2000s probably knows who Carmen Electra is. She is a woman familiar to us as a dancer, model, actress, and even singer. What many people don't know is that the pop culture icon has a penchant for going to court. Not because of her multiple divorces or her presence courtside watching her former boyfriend and NBA star Dennis Rodman. What we are referring to is her string of lawsuits against strip clubs all over the country. Together with...

Continue reading

Photographer Sues Blizzard for Copyright Infringement

depositphotos 42196053 xl 2015

Call of Copyright: Modern Infringement Warfare Activision Blizzard (Blizzard) is best known for three things in the world of video games: It is the creator of some of the best video games available today, the "Do you guys not have phones?" meme, and copyright lawsuits. Indeed, Blizzard is no stranger to copyright lawsuits. In some of the lawsuits, Blizzard sued others for infringements involving World of Warcraft, Warcraft, and Overwatch. For the most part, Blizzard was victorious. Now, Blizzard faces allegations that it has committed copyright infringement. Last month, renowned photographer and writer Clayton Haugen sued the video game giant...

Continue reading

Photographer Sues Kat Von D for Copyright Infringement

depositphotos 82863354 xl 2015

Photographer Is Suing Kat Von D for Copyright Infringement On February 7, 2021, a relatively well-known photographer, Jeff Sedlik, filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D. Sedlik alleges that she used his copyrighted photograph without consent or permission. According to the photographer, Kat Von D published an image of herself giving someone a tattoo to her Instagram page. The tattoo strongly resembled a photograph he took more than 30 years ago. Dubbed as the Miles Davis photograph, the iconic image depicts a black gentleman holding his pointing finger over his lips as if to indicate...

Continue reading

Creative Coalition Seeks Commitment From President

depositphotos 98864318 xl 2015

Copyright Challenge For the New Administration Holding the highest position in the country is not easy. But it is a great honor and steadfast commitment. Perhaps no one else can affect significant change or directly influence the momentum of history as the President of the United States. Recently, Joe Biden was elected the 46th President. Just a few months into his presidency, US citizens, international entities, and lobby groups are already at his doorstep, calling for change. One of those groups calls itself the Creative Coalition - an organization that works toward securing stronger protections for copyrighted materials. If you...

Continue reading

Chapman v. Minaj Copyright Infringement Lawsuit

depositphotos 65123017 xl 2015

Tracy Chapman v. Nikki Minaj: Copyright Infringement Involving Unpublished Minaj Song The music industry is, without question, one of the most copyright lawsuit-ridden industries in the US. For the past couple of years, the legal world had seen some exciting--and most likely, frustrating--legal developments in the industry, so much so that one industry expert is beginning to claim that copyright lawsuits are now scaring away new hits. Whether real or not, the fact is that we are currently more likely to lean on the former than on the latter and the case of Nicki Minaj versus Tracy Chapman works to...

Continue reading

Hot Copyright Issues in 2021

depositphotos 326973666 xl 2015

Copyright Issues that may Change Copyright Law as We Know It Without a doubt, we are at the precipice of a digital and internet revolution. The year 2020 gave us a pandemic that not only changed our lives and the way we usually do things but also paved the way for the internet to transform in ways we could not have imagined. Now it is 2021, and it seems like the surprises keep coming. As copyright infringement lawyers and creative artists, we can try to prepare for some of the potential changes ahead, especially those that might affect our communities...

Continue reading

Senator Considers Revisions to DMCA to Help Stop Copyright Infringement

depositphotos 38921663 xl 2015

DCMA Takedown Notices Help Photographers Protect Copyrighted Pictures Almost everyone who uses the Internet has heard of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, but not everyone truly understands how it impacts them - especially copyright holders or content creators like photographers. At least one Senator wants to make changes to the Act to make it even easier for creative artists to invoke copyright protections. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or more commonly known as the DMCA, was enacted in 1998 as a way to protect copyright holders while simultaneously enabling people to use copyrighted material under the fair use rule of...

Continue reading

Nirvana v. Marc Jacobs Copyright Infringement Case Rages On

depositphotos 22119437 xl 2015

Nirvana V. Marc Jacobs - A Copyright Infringement Battle and The Smiley Face That Started It The ongoing copyright battle between designer Marc Jacobs and rock band Nirvana has yet to come to a close. Jacobs recently countersued Nirvana, LLC, claiming that the copyright it claims to hold, is invalid. The original lawsuit in question was filed in 2018 by Nirvana against Jacobs. The lawsuit emanated from Jacobs' "Bootleg Redux Grunge" clothing collection featuring a design that looks similar to what has become the iconic Nirvana X-eye smiley face. Jacobs replaced the eyes of said smiley with Jacobs' initials and...

Continue reading