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22 August 2017Copyright

Photographer sues broadcaster over image of five billion dollar man

A photographer has sued US broadcaster ABC and internet company Yahoo claiming they used his image of billionaire entertainment mogul Sumner Redstone without permission.

In a copyright infringement claim filed at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Marcel Thomas claimed an ABC television news segment on “Good Morning America”, an online story, and a news item on the Yahoo website wilfully and intentionally used the photograph without a licence.

The news story covered a lawsuit filed by Redstone in October last year that sought to claim back millions of dollars he had spent on two former girlfriends. Redstone claimed he was the victim of elder abuse.

According to Forbes, Redstone, who founded media conglomerate Viacom, has a net worth of $5 billion (£3.8 million).

Thomas, in a complaint filed this week, said the defendants had infringed his copyright by reproducing and publicly displaying the photograph on the website and show.

“Defendants are not, and have never been, licensed or otherwise authorised to reproduce, publicly display, distribute and/or use the photograph,” the complaint alleged.

Thomas is seeking statutory damages of up to $150,000 per copyrighted work infringed and for the defendants to account for “all profits, income, receipts, or other benefits derived from their unlawful activity”.

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Photographer sues broadcaster over image of five billion dollar man

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