Copyright extends even the look and feel of a photo

Once upon a time the Slam`s magazine photographer Jonathan Mannion who specialized in portraits of celebrity athletes and musicians, made an iconic image of basketball player Kevin Garnett for an article. The name of the article was “Above the Clouds”. The famous picture – is a three-quarter-length portrait of Kevin against a backdrop of clouds with some blue sky shining through.

Later the beer brand Coors Light used the conception of the photo for a billboard advertisement in LA. Their image was black-and-white, the torso of a muscular man against a cloudy backdrop.  The pose of a model and a composition was similar to that in Garnett`s picture.

Of cause Jonathan Mannion sued Coors company. The court`s decision and description were fantastic! The judge found that the rendition, pose, and creation of the subject can influence the copyright ability of a photograph, and ruled in favor of the photographer.

Photo: nba.com