AP Photographers Moving Closer to the End Zone as a Deal in Their Copyright Battle is Close

The National Football League (NFL) appears to be close to finalizing a settlement with a number of Associated Press (AP) photographers regarding an ongoing dispute stemming from royalty payments. Counsel notified U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty on June 3, 2019 that the parties are in the process of finalizing a confidential settlement agreement. According to the letter, a motion to dismiss is expected within the next 45 days.

The suit, brought by Paul Spinelli and six other photographers, alleged that the NFL exploited thousands …

February 19, 2016 Antitrust / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark / Litigation / NFL

NFL and Associated Press Want Photographers’ Antitrust Suit Tossed Forever

On Thursday, February 11, 2016, the NFL and The Associated Press asked a New York federal judge to dismiss a group of professional photographers’ second attempt at asserting copyright and antitrust violations over the use of their photos taken at NFL games. At the hearing, the league and the media body — along with their co-defendants in the case, including Getty Images and Replay Photos LLC — argued that the photographers had failed to allege any new facts or claims in their second amended complaint, …

Flag on the Play: NFL, AP Urge Court to Close Book on Photographers’ Antitrust Suit

On Friday, May 29, the National Football League and the Associated Press told a New York federal court that the seven photographers bringing a copyright and antitrust suit had lost their right to file a revised complaint. In March, U.S. District Judge Robert Sweet dismissed the photographers’ claims, but gave them twenty days to file a new complaint. The parties then agreed to a three-week extension for the amended pleadings to be filed, but the photographers failed to meet the May 11 deadline.

Rather …