New Thompson Coburn blog In Focus covers photo copyright cases

Thompson Coburn’s newest blog will train its “lens” on an increasingly active area of intellectual property law: copyright claims involving photographs. The new blog, In Focus: The Photo Copyright Blog, designed for both photographers and users of photographs, will describe recent photo copyright cases and developments.

Photo copyright cases have exploded in recent years, for various reasons:

• Modern communications are more visual than ever, with more frequent uses of photos and illustrations in all media.
• It is easy for users to find and copy photos from the Internet and social media.
• Photographers and stock photo agencies have many tools for tracing unauthorized use of their photos.
• Photographers have become increasingly aware and protective of their rights.

In Focus will cover a range of copyright issues related to photographs. Many of its posts use a roll-over image format that allow readers to compare the original copyrighted image with reproductions or alterations of the image, and thereby judge for themselves the images’ similarities and dissimilarities.

The authors, Mark Sableman, Michael Parks, Mike Nepple, and Justin Mulligan, will draw on Thompson Coburn’s extensive experience in the photography copyright space, including:

• A case last year that established a national landmark concerning use of photos in advertising mockups.
• Advising a national media company on a wide variety of photo copyright claims.
• Representation of various publishers and multi-media producers defending copyright and breach of license claims by photographers.

The lawyers in Thompson Coburn’s copyright practice, recognized by U.S. News and World Report and Best Lawyers as the 2016 Copyright Law Firm of the Year (by BL Rankings), also handle copyright claims arising from other media, including books, articles, movies, music, software, artwork, websites, and architectural drawings. 

 Recent In Focus posts:

• Can you make an infringement claim over thumbnail images?
• Illegality doesn’t negate copyright protection
• Tank-topped photos subjects don’t meet standard of ‘substantial similarity’
• Done properly, can a Creative Commons license make for an easy defense?
• Has Jeff Koons learned to play fair with copyright works?