legal

A Detroit-area skating rink is under fire for barring entry to a Black teenager after its facial recognition cameras misidentified her as a woman who was banned from the property. It has further ignited debate on the ethics of using facial recognition technology in the United States.

According to United States court documents, Dua Lipa shared a photo of herself that was captured by paparazzi "without permission or authorization" when she posted it to social media. The paparazzi firm is seeking $150,000 in damages and has asked for a jury trial.

Acclaimed rapper Jay-Z has filed a lawsuit against photographer Jonathan Mannion -- who photographed Jay-Z's 1996 debut album "Reasonable Doubt" -- for misusing his likeness, which includes the sale of merchandise such as photo prints and shirts, and licensing his image without the rapper's permission.

A reporter from a Univision affiliate in Arizona has accused police of illegally seizing his phone and threatening to access its contents by "brute force" during an incident in April.

A class-action lawsuit has been filed in a federal court in San Francisco that targets Instagram's embed publishing tool. It alleges that Instagram and its parent company Facebook enabled copyright infringement by encouraging online publications to embed links Instagram posts in articles.

The NPPA has announced that it will instruct police, first responders, and journalists across the United States about citizens' right to record police and officials who are carrying out their public duties.

Architectural photographer Mike Kelley, who might be best known for his viral photos of Airports around the world has released a $100 contract template for professional photographers working in the architecture, design, and real estate markets.

If you've ever been on the streets of New York City, you've likely seen the iconic I Love New York slogan and logo that has been around since 1977. But if you're a photographer who sells photos, here's something you need to know: that logo is trademarked by New York, and the state is quite serious about protecting it.

When is copying another’s work not stealing? Andy Warhol copied a photograph taken by Lynn Goldsmith of the musical artist Prince and created sixteen colorized and stylized visual works.

Update on 3/05/2021: The creator of the deeptomcruise account today revealed that it was a stunt. Masterminded by visual effects expert Chris Ume, the goal was to draw attention to deepfakes and petition for their regulation.

Freelance photographer Andy Aitchison was recently arrested in the United Kingdom for performing the duties of his job: documenting an event. Aitchison was tasked with photographing a protest, and after he concluded his business and uploaded his images, he was arrested at his home.

A 28-year-old Tennessee man has been arrested and charged for creating a "disrespectful Photoshopped image." He is accused of manipulating a photograph of a deceased officer's grave and posting it on social media.

A California man has pled guilty to the charge of hitting a police helicopter with his drone. The crime of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft carries up to one year in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The National Gallery of Fine Art has apparently lost its association with National Geographic. Based on a multi-week investigation, I have been able to determine that National Geographic recently cut ties with the gallery amid legal complications.

Facebook may reportedly be hit with both state and federal antitrust lawsuits, with one of the main focuses being its 2012 acquisition of the photo-sharing app Instagram.

The founder of PhotoStealers, Corey Balazowich, has started a GoFundMe in order to pay for mounting legal fees that she has accumulated defending herself against a photographer she accused of stealing images in January. She also claims multiple instances of harassment against her.

An appeals court has ruled that a 40-year-old man who followed women around with a camera to shoot creepy images of them did not commit any crime because the photography was done in public places.

The Swiss camera brand ALPA has won a copyright infringement case in China against counterfeiters who copied the company's designs. In its ruling, the Chinese court acknowledged that ALPA cameras are "objects of applied art" that are worthy of protection.

The past few years have made it abundantly clear that platforms hold disproportionate power in the online sphere – from Uber to Grubhub to Amazon. Online success is predicated on building both utility as well as a critical mass of users, and for that, platforms should be congratulated.

On March 12, 2020, the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) held a webinar with General Counsel Thomas Maddrey entitled “Potential Business Ramifications of Coronavirus (COVID-19).” Maddrey covered a variety of topics, including cancellation clauses in photographer contracts.

As you know, things are getting crazy out there and our photo assignments are being postponed or canceled due to the coronavirus. Are you prepared to answer the question “what will it cost to cancel?”? Let’s talk about our terms and conditions (T&C).

Back in May, Apple quietly filed a legal petition to try and invalidate a key patent by cinema camera maker RED, and RED is not taking it lying down. The patent in question describes RED's "REDCODE" codec for visually lossless, compressed 4K video at 23fps and above—one of the patents at the very core of RED's history as a company and camera maker.

The Los Angeles-based entertainment news and photo agency Splash News has apologized and agreed to pay "substantial damages" to Prince Harry after it flew a helicopter low over his rural retreat home and shot photos into the living room and bedroom.