What's abuzz in the photography world this week?
1. DIYPhotography
The UK government stopped plans for an AI copyright code to protect artists after talks with major AI companies failed. The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) led discussions to regulate the use of copyrighted material for AI training, but no agreement was reached. This leaves artists without protection, and future proposals are uncertain. Lawsuits by artists and organizations like Getty and the New York Times highlight the ongoing conflict between creative industries and big tech.
2. PetaPixel
Kansas-based wedding photographer Caitlyn Payne has been ordered to pay $30,000 in civil penalties for advertising her services with images taken by other photographers without disclosure. She allegedly faked a family emergency multiple times, leaving couples without wedding photos. Payne must also pay restitution to two clients and adhere to strict terms, including not using others' images without clear disclosure and refraining from further deceptive practices.
3. DesignTAXI
Italian court ordered Getty Images to remove all images of Michelangelo's David from its Italian website or face fines. This applies to both the original statue and its replicas worldwide. Getty initially resisted but complied after an appeal. They'll distribute David-related imagery globally but require specific tags and reject commercial use of images the David. Italy has a history of protecting its heritage, taking legal action against the unauthorized use of David's image in advertisements.
4. FStoppers
Apple, in partnership with researchers from the University of California, has created an AI-driven image editing tool named 'MGIE' (MLLM-Guided Image Editing). It enables users to edit images through natural language descriptions, managing tasks such as Photoshop-style adjustments, overall photo enhancement, and precise editing of specific areas or elements. This tool aims to improve efficiency and user satisfaction in image editing tasks. While still in beta, it shows promising potential.
5. Digital Camera World
The Sony World Photography Awards 2024 announced its National & Regional Award winners from over 220 countries, with 395,000 images submitted. These diverse winning images span wildlife, documentary, landscape, and portrait photography. Overall winners for the Student, Youth, Open, and Professional categories will be revealed on April 18, 2024. The winning images will be exhibited at Somerset House in London from April 19 to May 6, 2024.
Would you also like to learn more about Photography Copyright? We invite you to check out the Fair Licensing Copyright Guide. For more Photography-related content visit our Blog.
That's all for now. See you next time!