Very Important Trial Concerning Getty and AFP Copyright Infringement

kanuckkanuck Posts: 1,300Member
edited November 2013 in General Discussions
A landmark trial has begun in New York regarding Getty and AFP stepping all over a British Photographer's copyrights. They actually sued the photography! Looks like the photography could reach as high as a 9 million dollar settlement..

www.epuk.org/News/1044/agency-reputations-at-stake-in-historic-copyright-trial

Comments

  • kyoshinikonkyoshinikon Posts: 411Member
    I saw this. What an interesting case. While copyright infringement is common this is at a whole new level in terms of cost and player profiles. The 2 agencies who should know better out of almost all agencies are the 2possibly in trouble.
    “To photograph is to hold one’s breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It’s at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.” - Bresson
  • PB_PMPB_PM Posts: 4,494Member
    I saw an article this week saying the trail was over. I believe the photographer was awarded 1.2 million dollars in compensation.
    If I take a good photo it's not my camera's fault.
  • BesoBeso Posts: 464Member
    I saw an article this week saying the trail was over. I believe the photographer was awarded 1.2 million dollars in compensation.
    You are correct! I believe the attorneys for AFP and Getty were quoted as saying they were "dumbfounded" by the jury's verdict, after proposing to pay the photographer $275,000 based on a theoretical photographer's "going rate" of $275 per day for 1,000 days. For those of us who have contracts with Getty Images we should probably be carefully monitoring what is happening with those images. It appears the copyright violation was deemed to not be accidental and the photographers protestations were ignored for some period of time prior to the lawsuit being filed.
    Occasionally a decent image ...
  • kanuckkanuck Posts: 1,300Member
    Yes, I think what troubles me the most is that when the photographer found out that his images were literally being used and the credit given to one of the agencies own photographers, he called them on it and got sued! Really makes you wonder how much of this is going on day in and day out with the thousands of photographers they employ. I do some work through Getty Images, as does my brother and we definitely lost some sleep over this story that's for sure.

    It is great news that the photographer was awarded a decent size settlement and hopefully this discourages this kind of practice in the future...
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