Katy Perry sued over photo of her 2016 Halloween costume
A celebrity photography agency is suing Katy Perry for $150,000 after the US singer posted a paparazzi shot of herself dressed as Hilary Clinton to her Instagram in 2016.
The lawsuit, filed on October 29 at the US District Court for the Central District of California said BackGrid owns the copyright of the photograph, taken by one of its photographers at a Halloween party.
According to the agency, Perry willfully infringed its copyright by posting the picture to her Instagram, which has more than 80 million followers.
BackGrid sent Perry a letter in July 2017 notifying the singer about the infringement, “nevertheless Perry failed to licence to photograph ever after she had express notice that BackGrid was the owner,” the filing said.
The agency said the photograph is creative, distinctive and valuable, and that because of Perry’s celebrity status, the photographer stood to gain addition revenue from licencing the image to various publications, including TMZ, the Daily Mail and the New York Post.
In addition, Perry’s unauthorised use is expressly commercial in nature,” the complaint alleged, adding that the singer often uses her Instagram feed to advertise products and promote business ventures.
The copyright suit is the latest in a string of legal action against the singer.
Just this week, Australia-based celebrity news website Pedestrian reported that an Australian fashion designer has filed a trademark infringement suit against the singer.
Designer Katie Taylor uses her maiden name, Katie Perry, on leisurewear and has held a trademark for the name since 2008.
Taylor’s suit alleged Perry is infringing her mark by selling Katy Perry-branded clothes in several locations across Australia.
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