Photographer Loses Copyright Lawsuit Against Getty Images

In August 2026, a New York district court dismissed a lawsuit for copyright infringement brought by a professional photographer against Getty Images. The ruling stated that the photographer had assigned his copyrights to Agence France-Presse (AFP) via employment agreements, allowing Getty to utilize the images under its licensing deal with AFP. Throughout his time as a staff photographer, he contributed over 40,000 images to AFP, with contracts that included copyright assignments to the agency. He later registered 9,953 copyrights with the U.S. Copyright Office, which included freelance work done prior to his first AFP contract. After leaving AFP in 2023, he noticed Getty licensing some of his photos and filed suit after Getty continued for two months post-notice. The court dismissed his claims that the assignment was temporary or misunderstood, emphasizing the necessity of comprehending employment contracts and copyright assignments.