Cam’ron is being sued for copyright infringement over his alleged use of an image of himself, specifically the infamous pink fur photo.
The photo was taken by photographer Djamilla Rosa Cochran 2003 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Show in New York. Ms. Cochran is accusing the Harlem rapper, along with Dipset Couture of profiting off the image by printing it on merchandise. Cochran further alleges that she owns the copyright to the image and seeks damages, as well as any of the profit from merchandise sales.
The suit reads, “Defendant Dipset Couture LLC, without permission or authorization from Plaintiff, actively copied and displayed the Photograph on the Website as part of various product listings (‘Merchandise Listings’) and engaged in this misconduct knowingly and in violation of the United States copyright laws. Getty Images notified defendants of their infringing activities by mail and email on multiple occasions. Despite those notifications, defendants continued to sell merchandise and continued to display the photograph on website and accounts.”
Copyright infringement is the use of works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required. Image and text are the two most common types of copyright infringement. Giving credit to the owner of a copyrighted work won’t by itself turn the use of the material into fair use. Phrases like “all rights go to the author” and “I do not own” do not automatically mean you’re making fair use of that material.
During an appearance on Kevin Durant’s Boardroom podcast in February, Cam talked about the fur coat and how much his Fashion Week appearance put it on the map.“I purchased that jacket probably 20 years ago at a store called Apollo Signature in Harlem on 125th Street,” he said. I haven’t worn it a lot. You know, it got a lot of attention. I bought it to wear to Fashion Week one year and after that it got wild attention, so I put it away.
According to reports, Getty Images reportedly sent multiple warnings to Cam and his team via mail and email. However, the rapper continued to use the image over the years. Cam has not publicly responded to the photographer’s claims.
The post Cam’ron Sued for Infamous Pink Fur Photo appeared first on The Source.
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