What's abuzz in the photography world this week?
1. Fstoppers
Former royal family photographer G. Harvey is suing Chattanooga-based menswear retailer, alleging unauthorized use of his copyrighted photograph of Princess Diana on their website. Harvey claims to have captured the image during Princess Diana's 1985 visit to Barra, Scotland, securing copyright in 2019. In a lawsuit, Harvey claims the retailer used their photo in advertising without consent and seeks a jury trial, compensation for damages, attorney fees, and other relief determined by the court.
2. DIYPhotography
A Beijing court has granted copyright status to an AI-generated image in a landmark decision, in contrast to the recent rejections by the U.S. Copyright Office for similar claims. The case involved Chinese artist Mr. Li, who used Stable Diffusion to create an image. This image was later used without permission by blogger Ms. Liu. The court recognized the AI-generated image as a copyrightable 'intellectual achievement,' emphasizing Mr. Li's intellectual investment in its creation.
3. PetaPixel
Midjourney faces a class-action lawsuit, revealing a database of 16,000 artists' names, including photographers, who are allegedly targeted for replicating their photography styles. The list features notable names such as Mario Testino, Annie Leibovitz, and Ansel Adams. The database, shared on X and the Internet Archive, is part of an amended lawsuit by three artists. Despite a setback in their copyright claims, the case against Midjourney and Stable Diffusion continues
4. Digital Camera World
Nikon and Agence France-Presse (AFP) are collaborating to integrate a 'digital watermark' function into Z-system mirrorless cameras. This feature, part of the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI), aims to enhance image authenticity and protect against falsification or unauthorized use. The partnership with AFP, the world's oldest news agency, underscores the commitment to developing a system that ensures the accuracy and transparency of sourced, verified, and shared images.
5. 121 Clicks
The 2023 Nature Photography Contest announced its winners, showcasing passionate photographers capturing the beauty of Earth. G. Ostle claimed Photography of the Year, earning a €1,000 prize, while A. Schroeder was honored as Photographer of the Year and will contribute to environmental sustainability by selecting a country for the planting of nearly 400 trees. The contest aims to expand its impact on global conservation. To view all the winning entries, check out the link.
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!