Thursday, August 18, 2011

Vampire Weekend Settle Lawsuit!

Hey everyone!

A quick update on a story I originally brought to you over a year and a half ago. You may remember that Vampire Weekend was sued by a woman named Ann Kirsten Kennis, who said that the band didn't have permission to use her picture on the cover of their most recent album, Contra. Well, you'll be happy to know that the band have officially settled their legal dispute with Ann, who received an undisclosed settlement from the band while the photographer Tod Brody who took the photo remains embroiled in ongoing legal litigation.

Vampire Weekend and their record label, XL Recordings always said from the beginning that they took the proper procedures in obtaining the rights to the photograph, and blamed the photographer for any wrongdoing that transpired as a result of this. Even if the photographer misled the band, the court still could have found that they didn't provide enough due diligence, paying the photographer but not conducting enough research pertaining as to where the photo originated from. By reaching a settlement with Ann, the case against Vampire Weekend has been dismissed.

However, the story is not over. When Ann originally sued the band, the band in turn sued Brody for misrepresenting his rights to owning the photograph. Apparently it took weeks to actually track down Brody, and his lawyers quit the case back in June citing that he ignored their phone calls and avoided paying the legal bills. Brody is now representing himself regarding this matter. What do you make of this story? Make your presence known by leaving a comment here on the blog and tell me what you think!

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