You must have heard of the very recent Van Halen Photo Copyright Lawsuit, which, of course, is a great topic of discussion in the country because it once again involves copyright laws. So, first of all, the entire narrative proceeds with Neil Zlozower, you know, a kinda legendarily known photographer of the greats, including Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson, and Bruce Springsteen. Among his best works is a late-70s black-and-white photo of Van Halen in a recording studio.
That image has been exhibited as part of the displays in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the premier museum for rock music located in Cleveland, Ohio. So? Like, what is wrong in this though? You see, here is the problem: Zlozower alleged that the museum had used his photo without asking for permission or paying him any kind of fee. That is quite literally the core of this issue, and sure enough, this matter was taken to the court right away.
How It All Went Down
To be honest, all things came into the light in October of 2023 when Zlozower’s lawsuit against the museum was filed in a federal district court. Then? Well, right away, he stated that the museum had made a huge eight-foot version of the picture and had neglected to give him credit for it. He further argued that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should know better, as this institution deals with copyrighted material all the time, and sure enough, his argument was kinda solid.
In January 2024, the museum alleged that the suit ought to be dismissed because they claimed to have done nothing wrong, but at this point, you must be wondering how, right? Well, so far, we have seen that in their defence, they argued, is that it is “fair use”, you know like the photograph was used not just to show off the band but also to teach visitors about Eddie Van Halen’s guitars.
What Zlozower Is So Upset About
Well, the real question should be: Why shouldn’t he? After all, it is his work, right? You see, Zlozower claims that not only has the museum shown the photograph, but it has also laid claim to the heart of the picture on unauthorised terms. Further, he has not given due credit and no licensing is accounted for, which usually matter greatly to professional photographers, so sure enough, he just doesn’t want it to slip so easily. A similar legal battle involving reputation and institutional accountability can be seen in the UConn Professor Sherry Zane Lawsuit, where a former faculty member is challenging actions taken by her university.
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Hence, he is after “statutory damages,” which could be up to $150,000 if he is able to show that the museum knowingly went against the copyright laws. Zlozower states his position clearly: this was no mistake because you know, this museum should have known better.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Side of the Story
As always, we say that you shouldn’t only hear one side of the story, and in this Van Halen Photo Copyright Lawsuit, it once again becomes important that you hear the museum’s side of the story, too. According to them, simply placing it alongside Eddie Van Halen’s guitars and accompanying it with a narration that encompassed some history of rock music transformed its meaning.
That’s not it though, nah, you see, they are also citing a case from 2021 in which the Metropolitan Museum of Art used that same photograph of Van Halen under similar circumstances and won.
Read related cases in our Celebrity & Media Lawsuits section.
