What's abuzz in the photography world this week?
1. Peta Pixel
A photographer is suing Chrissy Teigen for allegedly posting his copyrighted photo of Katie Holmes on her Instagram story without permission. The image, taken in New York City on June 16, 2022, is registered with the copyright office. Teigen shared the photo with her 42.6 million followers, which has led to a lawsuit seeking damages and legal fees. The photographer, Ramales, claims Teigen knowingly violated his copyright and harmed his ability to sell the photograph of Holmes.
2. DesignTAXI
Donald Trump is making money selling merchandise with his infamous mugshot from his Georgia arrest, reportedly earning $7.1 million from items like T-shirts and mugs. Legal experts contend Trump could violate copyright laws because he doesn't own the photo. Federal case mugshots are public domain, but those linked to state charges, like Trump's, belong to the jurisdiction. So, the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Georgia might claim copyright and profits from Trump's merchandise.
3. Reuters
The U.S. Copyright Office denied artist Jason M. Allen's request to copyright his AI-generated award-winning image, "Theatre D'opera Spatial," created with Midjourney. Despite Allen's input and multiple revisions, the office asked him to disclaim the AI-generated parts, which he refused. The Copyright Review Board upheld the decision, stating that the image's substantial AI content made it ineligible for copyright protection.
4. Fair Licensing
The Association of Photographers has recently announced the finalists for the 38th AOP Photography Awards and we're pleased to mention that Fair Licensing is sponsoring the "Food & Drink" category. The winners of the Gold and Silver awards in all 11 categories, along with the recipients of the AOP Open Award, will soon be unveiled at the upcoming AOP Awards Showcase Evening scheduled for September 28th, which will be held in Shoreditch, London.
5. My Modern Met
A striking portrait of African-American model and influencer Sonia Barbie Tucker earned the top prize at the 2023 Creative Photo Awards organized by the Siena Awards. Taken by Chinese photographer Frank Zhang, this stunning image bested entries from 133 countries. Additionally, nine category winners were announced. The winning images will be displayed in an exhibition titled "I Wonder If You Can" at Siena, Italy's Palazzo Pubblico from September 30 to November 19, 2023.
Would you also like to learn more about Photography Copyright? We invite you to check out the Fair Licensing Copyright Guide.
That's all for now. See you next time!