Rock & Roll Hall of Fame faces lawsuit over claims it illegally displayed copyrighted image Van Halenthe latest of more than 50 such cases filed by the veteran rock photographer Neil Zloswer during the last decade.
In a complaint filed Friday in Ohio federal court, attorneys for the photo at issue say the Rock Hall never paid to license Zlozower's image — a black-and-white photo of Van Halen in the late '70s at recording studio- before blowing it up into an eight-foot-tall exhibit at the Cleveland museum.
In his lawsuit, Zlozower says a business like Hall's, which is full of copyrighted images and recordings, should have known better.
“Defendant is a sophisticated company that owns a comprehensive portfolio of physical and digital platforms and has advanced operational and strategic expertise in an industry dominated by copyright,” its lawyers write. “Defendant's staff have significant experience in copyright matters and are familiar with specific practices, including the need to ensure that all works used in their exhibits are properly licensed.”
A spokesman for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame did not immediately return a request for comment.
The Rock Hall is just the latest company to face a lawsuit from Zlozower, who also took pictures of Led ZeppelinThe Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen in a career spanning decades. Since 2016, court records show he has filed more than 57 copyright lawsuits against a wide range of defendants seeking monetary damages for the alleged unauthorized use of his photos.
He has twice sued Universal Music Group, once over an Elvis Costello image and another over a Guns N' Roses photo, and he sued Warner Music Group this summer over a Tom Petty image. A different case targeted Ticketmaster, accusing the Live Nation unit of using an image of Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde. In 2016, Zlozower sued Mötley Crüe itself for using images he had taken of Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee and other band members during their 1980s heyday.
In his new case against the Rock Hall, Zlozower's attorneys say the museum created an “exact copy of a critical portion of the plaintiff's original image” for the exhibit, which they say “did not contain any photographs or cite the source of the images.” .”
“The photograph was willfully and voluntarily copied by the defendant without permission or permission, thereby infringing the plaintiff's copyright in and to the photograph,” the suit states.
The lawsuit seeks an award of so-called statutory damages — which can reach $150,000 per infringed work if Zlozower proves the museum willfully infringed his copyright.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/pro/rock-hall-copyright-van-halen-photo-music-photographer-neil-zlozower/
