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Controversial New Copyright Laws in Europe

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EU Passes controversial copyright law that will hold websites responsible for their users' copyright violations. The Hollywood Reporter posted a story in late March describing a highly controversial copyright law recently passed by the European Parliament. It is called the European Union (EU) Copyright Directive and serves to "overhaul copyright law in Europe," bringing the laws up to speed with the age of the Internet. The new legislation which has been years in the making will "make online companies responsible for copyright infringement on their sites." The Parliament moved the legislation forward with "348 votes for and 274 against." The...

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Artist Sues Arianna Grande

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Visual Artist Sues Arianna Grande for Copyright Infringement Artist Vladimir Kush and his company Kush Fine Arts Las Vegas have filed a federal copyright suit against Arianna Grande. The complaint, filed in Nevada, alleges that Grande's video for her hit song "God is a Woman" contains images that belong to the artist. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages and a court order to remove the video, which has already been viewed nearly 200 million times, from the internet. The Defendants include Grande, Universal Music Group, and the director, and producer of the video. What Does the Law Say About Copyright? Federal...

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Photographer Sues Gigi Hadid

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Gigi Hadid Sued For Copyright Infringement Again Gigi Hadid, supermodel, fashionista, and influencer, is the latest celebrity to be accused of using pictures without permission. According to a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Xclusive-Lee, Inc., the Defendant, Hadid violated its copyright when she posted a photograph of herself to one of her social media feeds. The case, as reported in a January 2019 Forbes article, stems from an incident that occurred in October 2018. Hadid, whose full name is Jelena Noura Hadid, as she often does, copied and uploaded a picture of herself to Instagram. In the lawsuit filed in...

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Lopez Sued for Copyright Violation

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Photographer Sues Jennifer Lopez For Copyright Infringement Jennifer Lopez is the latest person to join a growing list of celebrities who find themselves defendants in lawsuits filed by photographers. According to an article on diyphotography.net, Michael Stewart is suing Lopez and her production company for copyright infringement. The Facts of The Case Dunja Djudjic reported on diyphotography.net that Stewart is a photographer. As part of his work, he took a photograph of Lopez out walking in New York City. Stewart alleges that he licensed the use of that photo to the Daily Mail which, along with an article, published it...

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Photographers Have The Right to Control The Use Of Their Work

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If you earn your living as a photographer, it is essential that you be familiar with the laws that govern the rights to your work. Federal copyright law and intellectual property law (IP law) have a profound effect on individuals who create images and content for a living. Your copyright exists the moment you take a picture. You may file a federal copyright registration, which is helpful should you wind up in litigation. However, your property rights in the photograph exist regardless. The rights to use that image belong to you. Others may not publish your work without your permission....

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The New York Times Seeks To Take Total Control Over Photographs

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A PDN pulse report claims that photographers have organized a protest against the revised contract that the New York Times (NYT) is demanding they sign. As of June 13, 2018, 137 photographers signed a petition and presented it to the Times urging them to reconsider the terms of the contract. The NYT as of the end of June had not responded. At this time, it remains unclear how the issues between contributors and the newspaper will be resolved. The situation, however, is a good reminder that photographers are engaged in a constant battle to protect their rights to their images....

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