Rapper 50 Cent wins copyright dispute

When one party uses another party's copyrighted photo or likeness without permission, the end result could be an intellectual property battle.

A website that uses an image without permission​ can be sued for misuse if there is dispute over whether or not the image was used fairly. In an instance like this, the owner of the image will sometimes submit a request for the image to be removed. In the event of noncompliance, a lawsuit could ensue.

Recently, rapper 50 Cent has won a lawsuit with a hip hop website that used his image without permission. 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, sued WorldStarHipHop.com in 2009 because the site had posted pictures of him in such a way that Jackson was concerned that visitors to the site might think he was involved with it.  

Instead of removing the images, the site claimed that they were used under fair use. However, there are certain limitations that define fair use and what constitutes infringement. Although the judge granted 50 Cent summary judgment regarding the claims of copyright infringement, the rapper had also claimed false endorsement and trademark infringement, and those claims were denied, according to an article in the Daily Business Review. 

Although a figure may be well-known publicly, that does not mean that images or likenesses of that person may be used freely. Businesses planning on using images they do not own the rights to online must know their rights and limitations. Any business or individual planning to use an image they do not own the rights to should know what constitutes fair use before using it. Consult a Phoenix small business attorney today if you have concerns about fair use. 

Categorised in: Intellectual Property Law

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