Digital Legal

Google sued over rock artwork

By | Published on Friday 27 April 2012

Google Music

Google is facing a copyright infringement lawsuit over a photo backdrop it used at the launch of its lacklustre Google Music service last year.

The estate of the late and legendary rock photographer Jim Marshall (not to be confused with the amp maker of the same name) is suing pop artist Thierry ‘Mr Brainwash’ Guetta over his use of photographs taken and owned by Marshall in one of his artworks. Guetta often utilises other people’s photography in his art, usually without permission, and this isn’t the first time he’s been sued for copyright infringement as a result.

But this case is particularly interesting because Google seemingly used the Mr Brainwash artwork, featuring Marshall photos of John Coltrane and Jimi Hendrix, at its big music launch last year, presumably making a copy of a piece which made a copy of the late photographer’s pictures. As a result the web firm is also being sued.

Google is yet to comment on the litigation.



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