Who owns rights to James Brown pics?

[Kawi_T]

Friday, March 7, 2008
Chicago Sun-Times

' Who owns rights to James Brown pics
by Jaclyn Brenning

Springfield - The family of the "Godfather of Soul" James Brown isn't feeling so good after learning a six-year publicity rights battle could be in vain.
At the heart of the controversy, and a new bill in the House of Representatives, is Corbis Corp., a stock photograph company from California. Chicago lawyer William Coulson said his client, Brown, discovered Corbis selling photographs of him without his permission.
A six-year struggle ensued. Brown and his family won in an Illinois appellate court just months after Brown's death in 2006. Coulson said the case is still pending.
But a House panel on Wednesday passed a bill that would allow organizations to sell a photograph without being liable if the customer uses it illegally.
Coulson said the question is whether companies can sell photos without the consent of the person being photographed. Under Illinois statute,he said, they cannot.
Coulson said the damages the Brown family would be entitled to could be moot if the legislation passes.'

 

[Fiendish Astronaut]

The article doesn't say what sort of photos these are. Were they taken of Brown lounging in his own garden by some snapper on a hill using a telephoto, or of Brown walking down the street, or performing on stage? I'd imagine this would make a big difference to what sort of legal challenge this is (although, as I pointed out in another post today, I am not a lawyer...)

 

[craig]

Could you provide a link to the full article? Judging by these two sentences Corbis did nothing wrong.

Love & Bass

 

[Lugs77]

I would also like to read the whole article, thanks..

 

[Kawi_T]

This is the entire article as posted in the paper.