Sarah Palin sued for copyright infringement

When businesses or individuals use photographs that they do not own without permission, they run the risk of triggering legal action. For some, this can be particularly damaging and embarrassing if it takes place in the public sphere.

Sarah Palin—no stranger to the public eye—is currently learning this lesson. According to a report by CNN, the former governor of Alaska and vice-presidential candidate is facing a copyright infringement lawsuit from the North Jersey Media Group.

The group claims that Palin posted a photograph—depicting three firefighters raising the American flag over the rubble of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001—on her Facebook page and the website of her political action committee, SarahPAC, without permission. The photograph was taken by Thomas Franklin, a staff photographer at The Record, a subsidiary of the New Jersey Media Group.

According to CNN, the photograph has grown famous since the events of Sept. 11. In 2002, it was made into a stamp, and it was later placed in the Library of Congress.

"It's important to enforce our copyright on this iconic photo," Jennifer Borg, general counsel of the North Jersey Media Group, told the news source. "When neither Ms. Palin nor her PAC responded to our demand letter to remove the photo, we were left with no choice but to seek redress through the courts."

The publisher asked Palin and her PAC to cease using the photo and pay damages.

Cases like these can happen to anyone who is not careful about getting permission to use photos. When it happens to businesses, they would be wise to consult with a Phoenix business attorney.

Categorised in: Intellectual Property Law

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