Mega-company Procter & Gamble is being sued by Cincinnati-based photographer Annette Navarro, who alleges that P&G used some of her photographs beyond the time frame and region for which she was paid.
The company allegedly paid to use Navarro's photos cited in the lawsuit for the duration of three years and only within North America, but continued to use them after the three years had expired, and put them on international products as well. If found guilty of copyright violations, Procter & Gamble could be on the hook for more than $75 million in damages.
According to the lawsuit, Procter & Gamble licensed some of Navarro's photos for the North American market alone, something allegedly done as a way to reduce costs. However, complaints from modeling agencies alerted Navarro to the images' use beyond the region for which they were licensed. Though P&G has since paid those modeling agencies, Navarro rejected the company's proposed payment due to uncertainty about the extent of P&Gs alleged violations.
The complaint, which was filed with the U. S. District Court for Southern Ohio on June 14, also cites Saatchi & Saatchi X and LPK as defendants. Procter & Gamble hasn't yet issued a statement on the lawsuit.
. dpreview.com2017-7-20 19:57