London: A London based renowned photographer has won 82,000 pounds damages from a US porn firm that used her holiday snap to publish it on a cover of an X-rated film.
Lara Jade, now 21, was only 14 and a keen photographer when she took a self-portrait of herself in Blackpool wearing a top hat and a ball gown.
She was so proud of the picture she submitted it to an "arty" website.
However, she was stunned to know through a pal that her innocent picture has been stolen and used at a cover of porn film DVD named ‘Body Magic’.
Lara and her parents fired off a complaint to makers ‘TVX Films’ but bosses there dismissed her claims and accused her of ‘scheming’.
The court found that her reputation and career had been “damaged by the unscrupulous firm” and Judge Thomas G Wilson described the company’s conduct as “morally wrong and tortuous”.
He said that, by using Lara`s image, they had improperly implied that she was “a participant in, or otherwise connected with, the pornographic entertainment industry”.
Lara from Tamworth, Staffs, has since become an internationally-acclaimed photographer, working in London and New York.
But the photographer said that she has been haunted by the image since it was stolen.
"I didn’t want to be known as the girl from the porn film. It was always there in my head. I had to bring it up in meetings I had with clients and agencies. They’d hear porn film and were instantly put off. But after I explained, they were very understanding and told me I had to protect my rights and were very supportive,” the Sun quoted her as saying.
“I’m just delighted I’ve been able to stand up for my rights. It’s good to have it finally out of the way. It’s not about the money I had to defend my rights in my work as well as my character and professional reputation,” she concluded.
ANI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.