Pro Sports Extra, a sports news outlet, recently found itself in the midst of a copyright infringement issue over the use of a photograph of Richard Stafford, the family attorney of Gabby Petito. Petito, a travel blogger who was allegedly murdered by her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, during their cross-country journey, has been the focus of intense media scrutiny for some time now. The controversy surrounding the use of Stafford’s photograph has added a further layer to this engrossing case.
The case of copyright violation tied to Stafford’s image first came under the spotlight through an investigation by Law.com Radar.
The copyright infringement lawsuit brings with it a important reminder for media organizations to respect copyrighted visual materials. The nature of today’s digital media landscape is such that often there is a thin line between fair use and copyright infringement; and it seems Pro Sports Extra has inadvertently crossed that line in this instance.
For a more comprehensive report on this legal development, the interested reader may consider visiting the original reporting by Law.com.