Kendrick Lamar faced with copyright lawsuit

Rapper Kendrick Lamar is currently being sued by a photographer over the use of one of her images. The image, a photograph of a woman simultaneously breastfeeding two children, appears on the cover of the artist's "The Blacker The Berry" single. The lawsuit claims that the photographer, Giordino Cipriani, is "entitled to damages and Defendants' profits attributable to the infringement, as well as an accounting of those profits, in an amount to be determined at trial."

Cipriani took the photo back in 2011 on a visit to Africa, and claims that he was never contacted by Lamar or either of the other plaintiffs in the case: Top Dawg Entertainment or Interscope Records, and that the image was ripped from his website without his permission. All in all, he's seeking damages in upwards of $150,000 for each use of the image, in addition to his legal fees.

Cases like this aren't unusual in the music business, with artists like Diddy, Ludacris, and Snoop Dogg all being guilty of it at one point or another, be it intentionally or accidentally. This case, however, has higher potential damages due to the commercial use of the image. Cipriani's original photograph can be found on his website, here (warning: contains nudity.)

As of the time of this writing, neither Lamar's representatives nor the artist himself have responded 

If you believe someone is unfairly profiting off of your work without your permission, it's important to contact a skilled business attorney as soon as possible. A lawyer can help protect your rights in case of litigation, and get you just compensation.

Categorised in: Entertainment Law, Intellectual Property Law

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