New York Photographer Sues B.B. King Estate For Copyright Infringement

Updated:

July 12, 2016 4:43 pm

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B.B._King_in_2009-768x511 — B.B King, in 2009. Photo by Tom Beetz via Wikipedia. Reproduced under the Creative Commons License.

A New York-based photographer is suing the estate of blues legend B.B. King and Universal Music Group for copyright infringement. Photographer Glen Craig claims that photographs of the late singer have been used on B.B King albums without his permission since 1971. The suit was filed in the New York Federal Court on Thursday.

In the lawsuit, Craig cites 40 examples of photographs he claimed were unauthorized. King’s estate and Universal have yet to comment publicly on the matter.

Photo copyright lawsuits have been cropping up frequently, including cases concerning images of rapper Notorious B.I.G. and singer Azaelia Banks being used without permission on news sites and platforms such as WWPR NY and Spotify. Nashville intellectual property lawyer Lynn Morrow recently told Billboard that “social media platforms are image-driven, which provides more opportunities for content to be infringed. These lawsuits should make every company and individual think twice before using a photograph on its websites or Facebook page.”