DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Volvo being sued by photographer and model over ad campaign copyright infringement

Jun 16, 2020 by John Aldred 10 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

This is an interesting one. It’s not uncommon these days for companies to feel they can just take that which does not belong to them and then use it for their own commercial gain, particularly when it comes to appropriating images. But after one photographer claims car manufacturer, Volvo stole his images, he’s fighting back, as is the model shown in them.

Photographer Jack Schroeder worked with model Britni Sumida on a photo shoot in April 2019 which happened to include a Volvo S60. After posting the images to Instagram, it caught the attention of Volvo who asked if they could use them. Schroeder says he presented them with his terms and a request for compensation. He says it went ignored, but that Volvo used the images anyway.

According to The Post and Courier, the suit alleges that Volvo knew of the existence of the images, even reached out to Shroeder, who responded that he does not license his work for free and presented them with his terms. He says he never heard anything back and assumed Volvo had just decided to not use the images. So, he was surprised when he spotted them being used in a social media advertising campaign to promote the Volvo S60 sedan – the vehicle that happened to be in the photos.

Naturally, Schroeder was upset and when he complained to Volvo, the lawsuit says that they responded by sending an “aggressive and intimidating letter” to a production company Shroeder had worked with, threatening to sue them in return over a 20-second video which they say illegally displayed their trademarked logo.

The model is also suing Volvo, claiming that their use of the images has damaged her career as she’d been lined up to shoot a campaign with another vehicle manufacturer under an exclusivity clause in her contract that prevents her from working with competing brands.

The suit, a copy of which has been posted to PetaPixel, cites copyright infringement, unfair competition, and misappropriation of likeness. The pair are seeking to block Volvo from using the images and are unspecified actual and punitive damages.

[via The Post and Courier]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Candidate for Prime Minister Sued Due to Alleged Copyright Infringement Rod Stewart sued for £10,000 over copyright infringement after using a photo for a gig backdrop A screen grab of Rachmani’s photo as it appeared in the television campaignIsraeli Prime Minister’s Party to Pay Photographer $5000 Due to Copyright Infringement Photographer sues Trump Organization for copyright infringement

Filed Under: news Tagged With: Britni Sumida, Jack Schroeder, lawsuit, Volvo

John Aldred: from diyphotography.net

About John Aldred

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

« Sigma is developing small L Mount lenses to go with the Sigma fp
This tiny cable will power your camera from a USB power bank »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Here’s a bullet time video booth you can build yourself
  • Ricoh has discontinued the HD PENTAX-DA 21mm F3.2AL Limited silver lens
  • This “stellar flower” unravels the twilight’s evolution in 360 degrees
  • Strobes vs Continuous LEDs – Which is right for you?
  • Wave goodbye to Apple’s My Photo Stream next month

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy