"Freelance photographer Kelly Fajack claims in a lawsuit that one of his photos was reproduced without his permission on a currency note circulating in the central African nation of Burundi."

Link (Thanks, xavier)

Reader comment: Rhys says,

If you do a google images search for "Burundi School" the image in question is the 3rd to appear. It seems likely the bank note designer just did a google images search for inspiration! The google image search database is not updated nearly as often as the main database so it's unlikely this result is a side effect of your story.

I experienced a similar case of stock photo shopping on the Internet Tubes when my face showed up on a DVD about the Enola Gay, of all things: Link. It just illustrates the tragedy of doing photo research on the web if you're a dummy. I've been unable to find the company that made the DVD, and I honestly don't know what I'd say to them, anyway - something like, "You ripped off my picture, and - by the way - the guy with the beard in the cover photo hadn't been born at the time of the Enola Gay's mission..." It's a problem.

posted by Xeni Jardin at 03:27:06 PM permalink | Other blogs' comments