A federal court this week dismissed a photographer's copyright infringement lawsuit against a blogger. The case centered on a fashion advice post from 2009 that used a photograph to illustrate styling tips for military wives. The photographer didn't discover the post until 2025—fourteen years after it was originally published. On summary judgment, the court ruled the blogger's use qualified as fair use. The photo served a transformative purpose in a different context, and the blog generated no revenue from the post. The photographer licenses the image for fine art reproductions at up to five thousand dollars each, a market entirely separate from a fashion advice blog. According to technology law analyst Eric Goldman, the case never should have reached federal court. Fair use protections for online creators remain intact.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton