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  • Singaporean photographer Jingna Zhang accuses Luxembourg student artist of plagiarizing her work for award-winning painting

    Singaporean photographer Jingna Zhang, who is currently based in the United States, has filed a lawsuit against Luxembourg-based art student Jeff Dieschburg accusing him of painting a picture that is almost identical to a photo she shot in the past.
    The artist has denied the plagiarism allegation, but he doesn’t deny taking inspiration from the photo. Zhang, on the other hand, believes a “perso

  • Seattle Space Needle sues local coffee shop for copying its logo

    Seattle coffee shop Local Coffee Spot is being sued for allegedly copying the logo of the city’s Space Needle.
    The lawsuit states the coffee shop’s purple and white branding is too close to Space Needle's own trademarked design.
    Space Needle’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Marketing Officer Karen Olson said: “Like the Empire State Building and Eiffel Tower, the Space Needle is a licensed

  • Chinese fast fashion giant Shein sued by artist Magdalena Stephenson for copying her artwork

    US-based artist Magdalena Mollman, professionally known as Maggie Stephenson, has accused Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein of using her artwork without permission.

    She has sued Shein and its distribution company for more than US$100 million in damages on account of four claims: copyright infringement, vicarious and/or contributory copyright infringement, removal of copyright management i

  • Dua Lipa sued (again) for sharing a paparazzo photo of herself on her Instagram

    British pop singer Dua Lipa is being sued for copyright infringement after sharing a photo of her taken by New York-based paparazzo photographer Robert Barbera in July 2018.
    The photo in question, which was shared by her on Instagram in 2019 without taking permission from the photographer, shows Lipa wearing a black sweater bearing the word “HEROES” in large capital letters while out in N

  • Kanye West accused Adidas of copying of his Yeezy slides design

    Rapper Kanye West made a surprise return to Instagram to accuse Adidas of ripping off his Yeezy slides design.
    The Adillette slides, which Adidas first introduced in May on social media, are similar to Kanye West's Yeezy slides from 2019, which also had a slip-on design, and were made of natural and renewable materials.
    To express his displeasure, the 45-year-old rapper wrote a lengthy post,

  • Filmmaker Lauren Greenfield accuses marketing company in the Philippines of using photograph of former first lady Imelda Marcos

    American documentary filmmaker Lauren Greenfield has accused a billboard company in the Philippines of using a copyright protected photograph of the former first lady Imelda Marcos.

    The photograph of Marcos in a red gown was used in publicity posters from Greenfield’s award-winning documentary 2019 “The Kingmaker,” which chronicles the life and career of Marcos and her husband, ousted Pr

  • How independent creators or screenwriters can safeguard their original ideas and negotiate better terms with the film industry

    The ongoing disruption in the film and television industry has changed the way movies are produced, distributed, and consumed. With the proliferation of subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD) and Over the Tops (OTTs), the demand for original as well as regional content has increased enormously, which in turn has opened up a gamut of opportunities for independent creators.
    Gone are the days w

  • Can UNFPA’s “bodyright” initiative stop women from getting abused in the virtual world?

    UNFPA, a United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, wants to change the way women are treated in the virtual world and is urging them to join their global movement.
    The internet provides an important space for women who want to express themselves and garner professional opportunities. However, this access acts as a double-edged sword because they disproportionately face all forms of

  • Makers of Tom Cruise's "Top Gun: Maverick" sued for copyright infringement

    The film ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has joined the billion-dollar club as it continues to dominate at the box office. The studio behind it, Paramount Pictures, is embroiled in a legal dispute over the blockbuster though.
    The widow and son of Ehud Yonay, who wrote a 1983 article in California magazine titled, "Top Guns," about fighter pilots and the Navy's elite Top Gun program, has sue

  • Kim Kardashian’s skin care brand SKKN called out for similarities to two existing brand names - SKKN+ and SKN by LH

    SKKN by KIM, Kim Kardashian's recently launched skincare brand has been accused of stealing its name from two already existing beauty brands SKKN+ and Lori Harvey's skincare line SKN by LH.
    In July 2021, Kardashian’s legal team received a cease-and-desist from a company, Beauty Concepts LLC, whose owner Cyndie Lunsford claimed that she has been operating salons under

  • Copyright holder of Biggie Smalls’ photos is being sued for unlawfully offering to sell products bearing his image and likeness

    Heirs of hip-hop photographer Chi Modu and rapper Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. Biggie Smalls, are entangled in a legal battle since Modu started using his 1996 Biggie Smalls’ copyright-protected photo for a snowboard deal with a Swiss company.
    Biggie’s estate, Notorious BIG LLC, has recently accused Modu of using the “rapper’s likeness” and licensing it for use on “snowboards, t-shirts, shower

  • Could rapper Kendrick Lamar get sued for using deepfake technology in his music video ‘The Heart Part 5’?

    Infamous rapper Kendrick Lamar's latest music video ‘The Heart Part 5’ is garnering views not only for the song, but also for the use of deepfake technology to morph his face into several popular faces from the entertainment industry. The question now is whether he can be sued for using different faces without seeking their permission.
    In the video, he digitally adds the likene

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